92 



Reviews (Did Book Notices. 



to be the only ' find ' of any description bearing certain traces 

 of man's handiwork. 



Although somewhat disappointing not to be able to assign 

 the erection of these cairns to any definite period, yet their 

 examination pro^•es \'aluable for two reasons. First it places 

 beyond any question the nature of the mounds scattered over 

 this portion of Brimham Moor, which is known by the name of 

 ' Graff a Plain.' a name which the late Mr. William Grange 

 translates as ' the place of graves ' — significant in itself, though 

 he at the same time casts a doubt upon the formation of the 

 mounds in question being anything other than natural. The 

 identity of the grave mounds being established, they prove that 

 a settlement of primitive man of no small magnitude must have 

 been located somewhere in the vicinity. 



♦Saint ' Gilbert : The Story of Gilbert White and Selborne, by 

 J. C. Wright. London : Elliot Stock. 90 pp., 2/6. 



In this little book tiie autiior adds one more to the many dealing with 

 that prince of naturahsts, Gilbert White We cannot say that the volume 

 contains much that is new, but it is obviously written by one who appre- 

 ciates White's worth to the full. He describes Selborne and its objects 

 of interest, and then gives some account of White himself, and of his 

 methods. There are eight illustrations. We don't like the word * Saint.' 



British Birds and their Eggs, by J. Maclair Boraston. London : 

 W. S: R. Chambers, 1909. 301 pp., price 6/- net. 



Is Whils: the author of this book has certainly not chosen anything new 

 in the way of either subject or title, he claims to bring forward ' a new 

 metlicd of classification.' He points out that other books are arranged 

 according to genera or species, or merely in alphabetical order ; but how 

 can a beginner ' be expected to turn to identify a bird in a book wherein 

 birds are grouped according to generic distinction, about which, as yet, 

 he knows nothing ? ' The birds are consequently grouped under such 

 headings as ' Black-and-White Birds,' ' Ruddy-breasted Birds,' ' Trunk- 

 climbing Birds.' Whether this method of classification is the best, or 

 whether it is entirely new, we are not prepared to say ; but we imagine 

 we know of one writer who will claim that he has adopted this method for 

 some time ! Under ' black birds ' there are Rook, Raven, Carrion Crow, 

 Chough, Jackdaw^ etc. ; but we find that the Scoter must be looked for 

 under ' Diving Ducks,' and the ' Swift ' is under ' Swallow and Swallow- 

 like birds.' In some of the other divisions, cross references are more com- 

 plicated. Each species appears to be described in a way suitable for a 

 beginner ; and, following the account of the bird itself, there are notes 

 under ' Eggs,' ' Nest,' ' Distribution,' etc. There are no fewer than 136 

 coloured plates, which will do for a beginner, and probably answer his 

 purpose. These must have been very expensive to prepare, and conse- 

 uently it seems a pity they are so poor. ]\Iost of the birds are sur- 

 rounded with a halo, and they are usually perched in mid-air, in a cotton- 

 woolly atmosphere. Whilst many are passable, some are really vile — 

 the Bullfinch and Wheatear being coloured like the patches on Joseph's 

 coat. We don't quite know what to say of the House Martin and its nest 

 (plate 58). There are sixteen coloured plates at the end, upon which 

 illustrations are given of the eggs of all British breeding birds. In each 

 case, we are informed, they have been drawn and coloured from the shell. 

 The volume is a substantial one, and cheap at 6 '-. 



Naturalist, 



