1906. 
Reviews. 
125 
Ireland in the position, as breeding species, of the Grey Crow and . the 
Black Guillemot. Curiously enough Man agrees with England and 
differs from Scotland and Ireland in the status of the Common Gull, 
though perhaps further investigation may modify this conclusion, as is 
hinted in a note in the addenda. It is surprising to find that the Barn 
Owl is almost unknown to Man, and there is no proof of it being any- 
thing but a mere straggler to the island. Only a few miles off — in Down 
and Antrim— the Barn Owl is so common as to be a recognised 
"ornament" in houses. On the other hand we find the Tree Sparrow 
resident and fairly well distributed in Man, and yet quite unknown on 
the shores of Ireland, 26 miles away. Similarly, it is strange to read 
that the Heron, which used to breed in Man, has now ceased to do so, 
although during the greater part of the year it seems to be far from un- 
common. Several dissimilarities in the avifauna of the two islands 
could be noted of other species, but enough has been said to show how 
interesting the comparison is. One striking feature is that the 
" Manx " Shearwater does not now breed in the island at all. 
Incidentally we may mention that Mr. Ralfe gives some information 
on the Land Mammals, Fresh-water Fish and Reptiles of the island. 
The Mammals are the Common and Long-eared Bats, the Lesser Shrew, 
the Irish form of the Stoat, the Long-tailed Field Mouse, the House 
Mouse, the Brown Rat, the Common Hare, Rabbit and Hedge-hog. The 
Fresh-water Fish are two varieties of the Stickleback, Salmon, Sea 
Ttout, Trout, Eel, and Lampern. The Common Frog is said to have 
been introduced about two hundred years ago, and Man possesses two 
Lizards {^Lacertavivipara and L. agilis). Newts, Snakes, and Toads seem 
to be unknown. Regarding the Irish information contained in the 
book, we note that most of it has been taken from Ussher's " Birds of 
Ireland ; " but we cannot understand how it is that the Guide issued by 
the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club in 1874 should have been consulted 
(according to the Bibliography), while the much fuller information con- 
tained in the Guide published by the same Club in 1902 seems to have 
been overlooked. Consequently, there are several misstatements and 
omissions concerning Down and Antrim which a reference to the latter 
book would have obviated It is pleasing to see frequent reference made 
to the late A. G. More, and to our valued contributor Mr. C. B. Moffat. It 
is a pity that Mr. Ralfe did not adopt Mr. L'ssher's method of conveying 
the gist of each article in a few lines at the beginning. One has to read 
through the whole description before one finds whether a certain bird 
really breeds or not, and indeed in several instances, the reader is left 
somewhat in doubt upon this point. On page liv. there is a curious 
error, where the Little Tern is put down as a resident. 
These few blemishes do not, however, seriously detract from the value 
of a work which we can cordially recommend to the attention of all 
students of British and Irish Birds The book is well printed and pro- 
duced, and the numerous photographs add not a little to the interest of 
the volume. 
R. P. 
