110 



GARDNER : THE LOCALITY FOR CERTAIN AGROTID^. 



having rubbed our eyes and wondered if it could really be true that 

 even the most widely acknowledged advances in ornithological science 

 made during the past quarter of a century could have been so 

 thoroughly ignored. The above however is only an instance of the 

 methods of this book so far as nomenclature and classification are 

 concerned, and we admit that these are matters of quite minor 

 importance in a faunal work. Moreover, the author very properly 

 tells us — in the prospectus that — 'This book, however, makes no 

 pretensions of a scientific character, nor does it adopt the classification 

 and nomenclature of the most modern school, but rather follows in 

 the wake of " Yarrell " [but certainly not the last and much the best 

 edition], which was the universally accepted text-book of ornitho- 

 logists until within the last few years. In short, it professes nothing 

 more than to be a plain account of the Birds of Wiltshire, written 

 for Wiltshire people by a Wiltshire lover of birds.' The author has 

 had much experience in the avifauna of Wiltshire and his notes on 

 the birds of the county are excellent, and of great value, since they are 

 in every respect reliable. Additional information on the various 

 species are here and there given for Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, 

 and Egypt, in which countries the author has travelled. Nor is this all, 

 for every species is described ; and sections are devoted to obsolete 

 views on Classification, Nomenclature, and Structure ; and to the 

 Faculties, Beak, and Feet of Birds. These in addition to the 

 information in strict keeping with the title of the book swell its pages 

 to 588, making an imposing volume. 



Mr. Adamson's 'Some more Illustrations of Wild Birds* 

 will be welcome to field-ornithologists, to whom his well-known spirited 

 drawings at once appeal through their vigorous accuracy. In this 

 new series, however, more attention has been paid to the finish of the 

 pictures, which are finely reproduced in monochrome lithography, 

 and thus while they retain their charming power they also possess in 

 addition the artistic merit of highly-finished drawings. The book is 

 nicely got up and is not out of place on the drawing-room table 

 of an ornithologist. 



NOTE—LEPIDOPTERA. 



The Locality for certain Agrotidae. — In the Bibliography (Lepidoptera, 

 1885-6-7) in the March number of The Naturalist, there are seven notices to which 

 my name is attached, the first of wliich, 'on the identity of certain Agrotidae,' is 

 very misleading, owing to its being dated Dai'lington. This occurred through the 

 notice in question being sent from a village in Teesdale, where I was staying for a 

 few days, and the post town of which is Darlington ; of course, Hartlepool should 

 be substituted for Darlington, and then the matter is intelligible, for I should very 

 much question such a coast-loving species as A. valligera ever having been taken so 

 far inland as DarUngton, — ^J. Gardner, 8, Friar Terrace, Hartlepool, 20th March, 

 1 888. 



Naturalist, 



