REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



The Architectural, Archaeological and Historic Society of 

 Chester has issued the 14th \ oluino of the Now Scries, wliich is a very use- 

 ful puMicaiion. Aiuuiuiiies are well looked after in Chester. Amongst 

 the pa]XM s are ' The C^mus ot the Potter INleols Collection,' in which reference 

 is raade to a remarkable collection found on the Cheshire shore, as a result 

 of the erosion In the sea ; ' The Chester Mystery Pla3''s,' and ' The River 

 Dee.' The last, by jNIr. F. Simpson, is a valuable contribution to the 

 geologv and history of the river, which is well known by Kingsley's ' Sands- 

 o'-Dee.' A recent letter is also quoted from Miss Kingsley, proving that 

 in this poem her father meant the Cheshire Dee, and not the Scotch Dec, 

 as some suppose. 



The Land's End, a Naturalist's impression in West Cornwall, by W. 

 H. Hudson. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1908. 10/6 net. 



We ha\-e read this book carefully, and must say we like Mr. Hudson 

 much better when he is describing the birds and donkeys than when he is 

 describing the nicn and their w^ays. Not that there is anything very 

 serious to complani about in his accounts of Cornish men, their manners 

 and their alleged lack of humour ; nor even can we find much fault with 

 his horror of the Wesleyans there, wdio sing — ' Hell's foundations tremble 

 at our shout of praise.' ' And no wonder,' the author adds, after having 

 ' sat out ' a service or two. But really, the way the Wesleyans and their 

 ' awful ways ' are dragged in, detract from the beauty of the book ; and 

 one really wonders whether a much more successful volume would not 

 have been produced had ]\Ir. Hudson kept to the gulls and the jackdaws, 

 respecting which he gives some delightful stories ; for Mr. Hudson is a 

 naturalist of the sort that despises those ' hasty schedules or inventories 

 of God's property made by some clerk,' as he terms the ' local ornitholo- 

 gies and lists of species ! ' ' The Land's End ' is written after a style which 

 is quite refreshing, and all visitors to that district will do well to peruse 

 this volume — full of anecdote, and charmingly written. It is also excel- 

 lently illustrated. 



The July number of the Bradford Scientific Journal is an excellent 

 one, though the copy we have received is a bit belated and battered. 

 ]\Iiss ]\L A. Johnson writes on Equisetales and Horsetails, and tells tales of 

 Chamaeleons and their tales ; both papers being valuable. We regret we 

 cannot see the meaning of the editorial footnote to this paper, unless the 

 word ' botanical ' has been omitted before the word ' papers,' and then it 

 would hardly be accurate . Mr. S. Margerison continues his most useful 

 notes on the Vegetation of some disused quarries (illustrated by excellent 

 photographs) , and also writes on Hawks and Falconry. Mr. W. R. Butter- 

 field gives some ' Suggestions for a Museum at Bradford.' Perhaps in 

 3'ears to come we may find a note on ' The Bradford Museum, an accom- 

 plished Fact.' There are also notes on bees and wasps, plant lore and 

 pre-historic remains. 



We have received the Report and Proceedings of the Manchester 

 Field Naturalists' and Archaeologists' Society for the Year 1907, 



(xvi. -f 108 pp., 1908). 



This volume is occupied by a chatty report of the various excursions 

 and meetings of the Society, written in a ' popular ' way. Its contents are 

 exceedingly varied, as will be seen from the following headings, taken 

 from pages 2-8 : — How Plants protect themselves ; Manchester Academy 

 of Fine Arts ; Manchester Fire Brigade and Electrical Power Station ; 

 Chorlton Union Workhouse ; Interesting Archaelogical Excursion ; and 

 The Bollin Valley. There are also papers on Spain, the Lake District, 

 Lincoln, etc. ; but there is not much relating to the natural history of the 

 Manchester District. 



Naturalist, 



