198 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



animal or some part of it, which has been forwarded to the 

 Museum. In a few instances a representative of the Museum 

 has visited the spot where the specimen was stranded, and 

 the evidence thus obtained has been the authority for the 

 determination. 



Calculations made by " curve " process show a sudden 

 rise from two specimens in July to fifteen in August, while 

 the maximum was reached by twenty-one in the first half 

 of October. A conclusion is considered legitimate that a 

 larger number of Cetacea, which have not been captured by 

 fishing-boats, are stranded during August, September, and the 

 first half of October than at other times of the year. It also 

 seems that, although the case is not certainly made out by 

 figures, there may be some connection between the stranding of 

 the Cetacea and the position of the Herring fishery at the time. 

 Eeference to the species obtained is given in this excellent 

 Report, and three distributional maps are provided. This publi- 

 cation is worthy of the high standard of our great Natural 

 History Museum. 



Animal Life by the Sea-shore. By G. A. and C. L. Boulenger. 

 ' Country Life ' Limited. 



We have to recall early days — some fifty years ago — for 

 books on our seaside zoology. Our shelves still contain ' Sea- 

 side Studies,' by George Henry Lewes; Charles Kingsley's 

 1 Glaucus, or the Wonders of the Shore ' ; ' The Sea-Side Book ' 

 of Dr. Harvey ; and the delightful writings of Philip Henry 

 Gosse. Then somewhat of a hiatus ensues, Step published his 

 1 By the Deep Sea ' in the late nineties ; but the time had 

 arrived for a more modern guide, and the Boulengers have 

 produced it. "A strictly systematic treatment has been avoided, 

 the classification adopted being intended to meet the require- 

 ments of the non-scientific reader, who is introduced to the 

 subject in the simplest manner compatible with accuracy." 



Seaside visitors who are wearied with the band on the pier, 

 the comic efforts of minstrels on the beach, or a melancholy 

 contemplation from a beach-chair, will find in the pages of this 

 book an animal romance which they can unravel for themselves. 



