NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 37 



It is, however, with the description of the Cetacea that this 

 volume is almost unique. Mr. Millais has gone to sea to observe 

 them, and, what is almost more, to illustrate them. We are 

 introduced again to a great industry which has produced skilled 

 and hardy mariners based on the old human instincts of sport 

 and adventure. Of the old whaling days, in sailing-ship with 

 hand-harpoon, little remains, and little is recorded; now we have 

 the steamship and the gun ! Almost as great a contrast as be- 

 tween the old 'Victory' and the modern 'Dreadnought.' But 

 whatever might have been written then, could only have been 

 adequately illustrated by the modern methods of to-day. We 

 have seen these creatures during the last forty years in all parts 

 of the world ; we have, however, only just seen in this volume a 

 reproduction of a photograph by the Earl of March of Common 

 Dolphins at sea, and have at last on our bookshelf a faithful 

 representation of an old experience. 



The Aquatic Birds of Great Britain and Ireland. By Charles J. 

 Patten, M.A., M.D., Sc.D., &c. E. H. Porter. 



One of the greatest difficulties experienced in the composition 

 of this interesting book must have been connected with its title. 

 What really constitutes an aquatic bird ? There are several 

 included in this enumeration which would probably not receive 

 universal acceptance in such a category. Thus we have the 

 Bustards, which to some will appear as little entitled to the 

 character of aquatic birds as would have been the Kingfisher had 

 that bird been inserted. We make these remarks in no captious 

 spirit, but as showing that the title of the book as applied to some 

 birds it includes appears to be very elastic. 



Dr. Patten has written this book from the bed-rock of much 

 personal observation, and has consulted considerable trustworthy 

 authority ; it is amply illustrated, and contains some charac- 

 teristic views of the haunts of shore-birds. Many of the records 

 relate to Ireland. 



