336 THE ZOOLOGIST, 



see, largely from these pages. Much, however, is still to be 

 learned about the birds of Surrey. Many considerable areas and 

 little visited spots have not been sufficiently patrolled by the 

 intelligent or judicious collector, whose operations for good or 

 evil ? have now been considerably curtailed by the legislature, 

 and whose reputed powers of mischief on our avifauna, even in 

 the cause of science, cannot be compared with the ignorant and 

 ruthless destruction by the keeper, or the diabolical injury done 

 by village bird-nesting urchins. But in an era of amiable fads 

 and crotchets the British zoologist must lay low, and do good by 

 stealth. In the coming years our records will be more of species 

 supposed to have been seen than of those actually handled and 

 correctly identified. The recent apotheosis of the Sparrow is an 

 illustration of what may occur. 



1 The Birds of Surrey ' should find a place in most county 

 homes, but we were a little surprised to find no reference in the 

 bibliography to the late Alfred Smee's 'My Garden,' which refers 

 to the parish of Beddington and the river Wandle, and contains 

 an interesting list of birds found in that section of the county. 



The Birds of Cheshire. By T. A. Coward and Charles 

 Oldham. Manchester : Sherratt & Hughes. 



Another county has now had its ornithological fauna de- 

 scribed, and it is singular that Cheshire has had to wait so long, 

 though we read that "ornithology has found but few votaries 

 among Cheshire naturalists"; and again, that, " compared with 

 many other English counties, Cheshire has a remarkably poor 

 avifauna." One hundred and ten species breed or bred until 

 recent years within the county boundaries, but it is among the 

 casual visitors rather than the residents that the deficiency is 

 apparent. 



The authors have, however, produced a volume which will not 

 only be of value to all lovers of birds in Cheshire, but will afford 

 interesting reading to that ever-increasing body, the intelligent 

 students of British natural history. In fact, such books as these, 

 which freely enter country houses, must do much to foster a love 

 of nature in circles where more scientific zoology is taboo. Among 



