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NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



Reptiles of the World. By Raymond L. Ditmars. Sir Isaac 

 Pitman & Sons, Ltd. 



A description of the reptiles at present found living on this 

 planet is practically but a roll-call of survivors of the great 

 reptilian era before the domination of Homo ; to understand 

 what that reptilian fauna was like when in its pride of place, 

 the paleontologist must be consulted. We cannot ascribe the 

 fall of this vast reptilian fauna to the sole action of man, though 

 his hand falls heavy on the existing representatives of to-day. 

 Thus we are again told of the Hawk's-Bill Turtle, continually 

 hunted for the " tortoise "-shell obtained from its carapace. 

 " The shields are removed from the shell by heating it, when 

 they commence to peel, and are assisted in the process by 

 the operator. As the operation often involves a living reptile, 

 the martyred creature is turned loose afterwards, for the belief is 

 hat it grows a new coat of shields." The Diamond-Back Terrapin 

 (Malacoclemmys palustris) , " one of the requisites in making up a 

 champagne dinner, and consequently a valuable and well-known 

 market delicacy," has a market demand that we read " threatens 

 early extinction." The Tuatera was in comparatively recent 

 years abundant on the larger islands of New Zealand. Dimin- 

 ished by various causes, " they are diligently hunted for scientific 

 institutions, and not many years will pass before the last Tuatera 

 to remain in the flesh will repose within a museum jar." It 

 should be here mentioned that Mr. Ditmars in this book, though 

 following in the main Dr. Boulenger's system of classification, 

 popularly divides the Chelonians into three groups : — 



Tortoises. — The strictly terrestrial species. 



Turtles. — The semi-aquatic and marine species. 



Terrapins. — Those hard-shelled, fresh-water species that are 

 edible and have a recognized market value. 



A great deal of personal observation by the author himself is 

 recorded in these pages, and this not only derived from captives 



