NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 191 



fact, they can climb as well as a squirrel. In the settlement 

 they utterly destroy all the fruit they can get at, and frequently 

 come into conflict with the fruit-bats on the tops of the papaia- 

 trees." The Frigate-bird (Fregata aquila) forms an article of 

 food for the inhabitants, and is easily captured. A man climbs 

 " into the topmost branches of a high tree near the coast, armed 

 with a pole eight or ten feet long and a red handkerchief. The 

 latter he waves about, at the same time yelling as loud as possible. 

 The birds attracted by the noise and the red colour swoop round 

 in large numbers, when they are knocked down with the long 

 pole." Fresh information is also recorded concerning our old 

 friend the Robber Crab (Birgus latro). " They have a curious habit 

 of often dragging their food long distances before attempting to 

 eat it. I have seen a Crab laboriously pulling a bird's wing up 

 the first inland cliff, half-a-mile or more from the camp whence 

 it had stolen it." 



The geographical relations of the fauna and flora are mostly 

 Indo-Malayan, and, although a large number of species are 

 described as endemic, especially among the insects, this is 

 probably owing to the entomological fauna of the neighbouring 

 islands being still imperfectly known. The volume is well 

 illustrated with twenty-two plates, a map, and numerous cuts in 

 the text, and worthily upholds the character of British Museum 

 publications. 



The Atoll of Funafuti, Ellice Group: its Zoology, Botany, Ethno- 

 logy, and General Structure. Based on collections made by 

 Mr. Charles Hedley. Sydney : published by order of 

 the Trustees of the Australian Museum. 



Part I. of this excellent memoir appeared in 1896, and Part 

 VIII., concluding it. was published last year. It altogether relates 

 to the atoll of Funafuti, which was discovered by Capt. Peyster 

 on March 18th, 1819. According to the observations of Capt. 

 Wilkes, it lies in lat. 8° 30' 45" south, long. 179° 13' 30" east — 

 " a position which may otherwise be described as due north of 

 Fiji, and precisely half way between that and the Equator." 



Part I. is devoted to a general account of the atoll, its 



