238 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



with a considerable human endowment, but in the course of life 

 falls far away from it ; man starts in life with a still greater portion 

 of human or ultra-human endowment, and to a less extent falls 

 from it in adult life, approaching more and more to the ape." 

 Woman is therefore on these lines not degraded by the comparison 

 of an infantile diathesis. 



Whether, however, the reader who peruses the wonderful array 

 of facts marshalled in this book — and there is not a dull page — 

 will come to the same conclusion as the author is a very open 

 question, but assent or dissent on this point is unnecessary to the 

 real value of the volume, which may be called a monograph of 

 human sexual variation. In conclusion, we heartily concur with 

 Mr. Ellis in the view that " To arrive at any reliable knowledge 

 of mental sexual differences it is no longer enough to formulate 

 suggestive impressions or brilliant theories. These have a certain 

 interest and value, it is true, but they have no part in any know- 

 ledge that can be called science. It is along the lines of precise 

 experiments that we may reasonably hope to obtain a more definite 

 and objective knowledge of mental differences." 



Society for the Protection of Birds. — " Educational Series." 

 Edited by H. E. Dresser, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Part I., con- 

 taining Nos. 1 to 11 inclusive. 'Knowledge' Office. 1897. 



There sometimes seems an impression abroad that ornith- 

 ologists are a body of enthusiasts who seek to destroy birds in 

 order that they may study them afterwards; and it is not long 

 since that the present Editor was told that ' The Zoologist' was 

 a magazine devoted to chronicling the details of bird slaughter. At 

 all events the " Society for the Protection of Birds" receives the 

 support of some of the ornithologists well known to our readers, 

 for these "Educational Series" are not only edited by Mr. H. E. 

 Dresser, but include among the contributors the names of 

 Thomas Southwell, O. V. Aplin, and J. A. Harvie-Brown. 



It is to be hoped that this little publication may be circulated 

 broadcast over the country ; in fact, we should be glad to see it 

 made the occupation for a few ornithological colporteurs. We 

 are not among the fanatics who decry the necessary process of 

 addition to the ornithological cabinets, which has afforded us 



