116 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



as to guns and rifles most suitable to sportsmen in South 

 America, will be useful to those who wish to follow in his 

 footsteps; and his chapters are certainly well worth reading 

 by all who take an interest in sport abroad. The illustrations 

 are the worst feature in the book, and it is no excuse to a 

 critical reader to be told, in the preface, that the author is 

 not an artist. The sketches reproduced should have been 

 re -drawn, or omitted. The value of the book would have been 

 enhanced, too, by the addition of an index ; and the map which 

 is given of South America would have been more useful, if the 

 author had traced upon it a red route line, since a great 

 number of place-names are shown of which no mention is to be 

 found in the book. 



Phases of Animal Life, Past and Present. By E. Lydekker, 

 B.A. (Cantab.). Post 8vo, pp. 248. London : Longmans. 



This is a collection of essays which appeared originally in 

 1 Knowledge,' and deals with fossil as well as recent forms of life. 

 They are intended to illustrate, in a popular manner, a few of 

 the various modes in which animals — especially vertebrates — are 

 adapted to similar conditions of existence ; and also to demon- 

 strate some of the more remarkable types of structure obtaining 

 among the higher vertebrates. Thus, as regards the first-named 

 group, we find chapters on Flying Animals, Swimming Animals, 

 &c, showing the many ingenious contrivances of Nature for 

 effecting the same or similar ends ; in the latter group we have 

 chapters on Giant Land Reptiles, Egg-laying Mammals or 

 Montremes, Pouched Animals or Marsupials, Giant Birds, <&c. 



Mr. Lydekker is fortunate in possessing a knowledge of fossil 

 as well as of recent forms, and being, therefore, able to see more 

 clearly than most people the inter-relations of both. His 

 remarks, accordingly, are very instructive, if not always ex- 

 haustive. It would have been useful had the reader been able 

 to find references to important works on mammals where fuller 

 details on some points might be found. Nevertheless, the book 

 is full of information, and the illustrations for the most part 

 are satisfactory. But why is there no Index ? 



