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REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



The Origin and Influence of the Thoroughbred Horse. By Prof. 

 W. Ridgeway. Cambridge University Press, 1905. 12s. 6d. net.' 



In this excellent book it is difficult which to admire most— the au.thor's 

 enthusiasm for his subject and the ability with which he endeavours to show 

 the best horses are derived from a North African stock (which he refers to 

 as the Libyan Horse), or his profound knowledge of geology, archaeology, 

 anatomy, and other sciences, the aid of all of which is requisitioned to 

 supply him with data. The result is a most valuable and important 

 volume, which will appeal not only to all those interested in horses in what- 

 ever way — but to the student of natural history and to the antiquary. In 

 Chapter III. (The Horses of Prehistoric and Historic Times) there is every 

 evidence of much research on the part of our author. No possible source 

 of information appears to have been neglected, and in it are references to 

 discoveries in East Yorkshire, etc., the result of the work of our contributor. 

 Mr. J. R. Mortimer and others. An idea of the scope of the work can be 

 gathered from the author's preface. He says : — ' The present work is an 

 attempt to solve one of the chief problems in the history of the horse, the 

 most important (the ox not excepted) of all the animals domesticated by 

 man. The nature of the inquiry rendered it necessary to treat not only of 

 all the chief breeds of domestic horse known in historical times, but also to 

 take a survev of all the other living Equidse, as well as of the ancestors of 

 the genus,_ The question of colouration naturally holds a prominent place 

 in the investigation, and I have tried to trace historically the origin of the 

 various colours found in domestic horses. At the same time I have 

 endeavoured to indicate . . . the influence exercised on the history 

 ■of the chief nations of the ancient, mediseval, and modern world by the 

 possession of horses, and especially by the acquisition of what I venture to 

 term the Libvan horse." The book is enriched by about 150 illustrations ot 

 a most interesting character. 



Wild Flowers, Month by Month. Two Volumes. F. Warne & Co. 



12s. net. 



In these two admirable volumes Mr. Edward Step has unquestionably 

 provided a \yovk which, of its kind, stands alone. We have frequently 

 referred recently to the charming way in \yhich books are nowadays 

 produced as regards general appearance and the qualit}- of the illustr^ations. 

 It often happens, however, thcit the accompanying- letterpress is weak — in 

 some instances merely a sort of 'padding' to the pictures. Not so in 'Wild 

 Flowers, Month by Month.' The author has not only provided a most 

 admirable picture gallery of the face of the fields and woods and streams 

 for each of the summer months, but he has written delightful descriptions 

 of the country in its various aspects, descriptions which could onl}- come 

 from one who is familiar with Nature in her varied moods. Of all the books 

 which we have lately had the pleasure of seeing, we kno\v of none that 

 would be more acceptable as a present to eiiher man, woman, boy, or girl 

 having the slightest regard for the beauties of Nature— and who. nowadays, 

 that is blest with all his or her faculties, has not? But there is a furtlu-r 

 charm in Mr. Step's volumes. In taking his photographs he has had an 

 eye for the artistic. Most of his illustrations are 'pictures.' The flowers 

 and fruit and foliage are also so clearly and accurately portrayed that the 

 illustrations in the books (of which there are some 340) will be fovuid most 

 useful to the dailv increasing number of students who look to natural 

 objects for designs, to be put to a variety of uses. By way of variety, we 

 suppose, Mr. Step has introduced a few photographs of birds" nests, etc., 

 but these are not- nearly so successful as his plants, and would, in our 

 opinion, have been better omitted. This, however, is the only grumble 

 we can make. 

 1905 December i. 



