860 



Notices of Books. 



[Dec. 



diseases being spread over very large areas now quite free from such 

 contamination ? 



Sir Arthur G. Boscawen : Arrangements are made in most countries for 

 the inspection of potatoes which are intended for export, and consignments 

 are then accompanied by certificates of health issued by the Government of 

 the country concerned. By an order of the Ministry issued under the Destruc- 

 tive Insects and Pests Acts, which came into operation on 1st October, 1921, 

 potatoes imported into this country without an official certificate as to their 

 freedom from disease 'are liable to examination, and if found to be unhealthy 

 may be either re-exported or destroyed. (October 24, 1921.) 



Canadia-n Cattle.— Sir B. Stanier asked the Minister of Agriculture for 

 the number of milch cows, yearlings and two-year-old steers and calves in 

 Canada in the years 1919, 1920 and 1921. 



Sir Arthur G. Boscawen : The number of cattle in Canada in June. 1919, 

 •as published by the. Dominion Government, was as 'follows : 



Bulls ... ... ... ... 300,471 



Milch Cows ... ... ... 3.548,437 



Calves ... ... ... ... 2,424,299 



Steers ... ... ... ... 840,319 



Other Cattle ... ... ... 2,971,555 



Total ... 10,085.081 



The Dominion Government have published the following figures of the 

 number in June. 1920 : 



Milch Cows ... ... ... 3.530.238 



Other Cattle ... ... ... 5,947,142 



Total ... 9,477,380 



Further details in regard to 1920 have not yet been published. Figures 

 for 1921 are not yet available. 



****** 



notices of books. 



Birds One Should Know— Beneficial and Mischievous.— (The 

 Rev. Canon Theodore Wood: illustrated by Roland Green, F.Z.N. Gay & 

 Hancock, Ltd , 34, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. London. W.G. 2. Price 

 10s. 6d. net.) The influence of the country's fauna on crop production for 

 good or evil is so great that works approaching the subject from this point of 

 view are welcome. The book under notice, with the help of its lavish illustra- 

 tions, will enable readers to identify the more common birds of the country- 

 side — ''birds one should know.'' as the title rightly indicates. Together with a 

 short outline of habits, a few words are said which attempt to give the subjects 

 chosen their character as beneficial or the reverse. With birds this is a difficult 

 matter, and it may be suspected that the author has found it so. Even with 

 the more exact information which is gradually being amassed as to the food of 

 birds, the position of several species is still difficult to appraise. With a 

 number it is easy to say they are all good, but with few is it possible to say 

 they are all bad and with man)' it is difficult to decide upon which side lies t he 



