32 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Bell's ' British Quadrupeds ' appeared), and which now fill a dozen large 

 pamphlet boxes, have not been " handed over" to anyone, but remain in 

 my possession. In enabling my old frieud Mr. Millais to refer to them 

 whenever he pleased, I bave been only too glad in this way to assist in 

 the production of a work wbich should reflect more faithfully than any 

 which has yet appeared the present state of our knowledge concerning 

 the mammalian fauna of the British Islands. It would have been a 

 churlish thing on my part to have neither utilized the collections 

 myself, nor allowed others to do so, if so minded. But, while co- 

 operating to this slight extent pro bono jtublico, I feel persuaded that a 

 less expensive work on British Mammals in not more than two octavo 

 volumes, and issued at a cost within reach of working naturalists, the 

 majority of whom are not rich men, would be generally acceptable. 

 For this reason I cherish the idea of producing such a work at no very 

 distant date. — J. E. Harting. 



[The reviewer based his remarks on the following explicit statements 

 in the preface to Mr. Millais's book : — " One man who is thoroughly 

 conversant with the literature of the subject I had always expected to 

 write a good book on British Mammals, but he has given his attention 

 to other subjects, and when I last spoke to him he said he was as far 

 off the project as ever. I allude to my old friend Mr. J. E. Harting." 

 In a footnote it is stated: — " As this work goes to press, Mr. Harting 

 has generously placed the whole of his valuable notes on British 

 Mammals at my disposal." Any inaccuracy that may exist can there- 

 fore hardly be laid to the charge of the reviewer. — Ed.] 



AVES. 



The Autumn Songs of the Willow-Wren (Phylloscopus trochilus) 

 and the Chiffchaff (P. rufus). — In the writer's opinion these birds do 

 not resume their songs in autumn, as a recent contributor to ' The 

 Zoologist ' seems to think. A few individuals of the above species sing 

 all through the time they remain in Britain, but I have always noticed 

 that as the time for their departure in autumn approaches their songs 

 become more and more feeble. They do not in autumn, after a period 

 of silence, burst into joyous song as so many birds do in late winter or 

 early spring. The only British birds I know that seem actually to 

 renew their full song in autumn after being silent in summer are the 

 Robin (Erithacus rubecula) and the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and 

 they both recommence singing early in August. All other species, 

 ivhose songs cease in summer, except on rare occasions, do not renew them 

 until the early months of the year. Of course, this is only my own 



