1906. 
Reviews, 
231 
ANOTHER BIRD BOQK. 
Pocket-Book of British Birds. By E. F. M. Ei,ms. London: 
West, Newman & Company. 1906. Price 2s, 6d. 
The idea and plan of this little book of 150 pages is excellent, and if 
well carried out, it would be most useful to the naturalist in the field. 
But much as we should like to recommend it, there are several blemishes 
which impair its usefulness. The price is too high ; it should have been 
sold at is., so as to make it uniform with Miller Christy's " Bird Nesting 
and Bird Skinning." Then, again, the Irish information is not at all 
satisfactory. For instance, the Redstart is given as "rather rare," the 
Chiffchaff as '"rare," the Willow Wren "rarer," and the Wood Wren 
rare." Those who know of the status of these four birds in Ireland 
will at once see hew misleading these definitions are ; they are practically 
put on the same basis, which, as we all know, is absurd. Again the 
Marsh Tit is noted as " rarer in »Scotland and Ireland" ! We could pick out 
numerous instances of similarly misleading information regarding birds 
in Ireland, but the above will be enough to indicate that reference to Mr. 
Ussher's well-known book may be recommended to the author if a second 
edition should be called for. Some of the remarks about common birds 
are not very happy. For instance, the song of the Thrush can hardly be 
described as " monotonous." We were under the impression that its 
variety was one of its chief charms. It would have been a great im- 
provement if Mr. Elms had given the average sizes of the eggs. We 
consider this a great want, that much detracts from the value of the 
book. As we said before, the idea is an excellent one, and it is a pity it 
had not been more carefully carried out. The book is well printed on 
thin paper, takes up ver}^ little room in the pocket, and there are blank 
pages for notes at the end. If the letterpress were revised, and the price 
reduced, there should be a large sale for this little book. 
R.P. 
NEWS GLEANINGS. 
English Naturalists in Ireland. 
During September Mr. G. C. Druce, of Oxford, visited Kerry, Galway, 
and Wexford, and carried out some botanical field-work. The results of 
his tour will appear in our pages before long. During the same month a 
party of well-known English zoologists— Dr. G. W. Chaster, Edward 
Collier, R. Standen, and C. E. Wright— spent ten days in conchological 
work in the Galway district ; their observations will be recorded in due 
course in the Irish Naturalist. Mr. F. J. Haubury spent the mouth 
near I<ough Caragh in Kerry. 
