36 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Animal Romances. By Graham Renshaw, M.B., F.Z.S. 

 Sherratt & Hughes, Manchester. 



This beautifully illustrated book, compared with the same 

 author's recent 'Natural History Essays,' will possibly less 

 interest zoologists in the reading, but has probably given its 

 author more pleasure in the writing than was the case with the 

 other mentioned volumes. Dr. Renshaw has a keen eye for the 

 picturesque in environment, and he has an exceptionally keen 

 and fluent pen in describing it, and these pages are an attempt, 

 and a no unsuccessful one, to give by descriptive writing a pano- 

 ramic view of a number of animals in their natural condition, 

 and not as museum specimens or the inmates of zoological gar- 

 dens. The work therefore is an "Animal Romance," written by 

 a zoologist and a keen lover of nature, and appeals to a rather 

 different world of readers than that to which his other books are 

 addressed. We have only one criticism to offer to this method, 

 and that is, it may suggest too much. As an instance of what 

 we mean, reference may be made to the chapter entitled " Forest 

 People," where we read : " A yellow butterfly flits past, and 

 instantly a Jacamar has seized it, the golden wings fluttering to 

 the ground." Now, if there is one question more than another 

 that disturbs some entomological theories it is that of the attack 

 on butterflies by birds, whether it is common or frequent, or on 

 the contrary unusual and of little consequence. That birds 

 do attack butterflies sometimes is in the cognizance of many 

 travellers ; the present writer has seen during his lifetime two 

 or three examples, but Dr. Renshaw's picture implies a common 

 occurrence, and thus promotes a too facile impression. As 

 mentioned in the review of the author's last ■ Natural History 

 Essays,' we still anticipate with pleasure more of that series. 



The Edible Fishes of New South Wales. By David G. Stead. 

 Published by Authority of the Government of the State of 

 New South Wales. 



We have previously noticed Mr. Stead's ' Fishes of Australia ' 

 (Zool. 1907, p. 360), and the present publication is confined to 

 the Edible Fishes of New South Wales. By this term the 



