172 
Tlie Ti'iinsfcr of (i Choice Collection. 
ovtT a liiiiulrcd of them, and some were well known, or conimonly kept 
types, but as no news has come of any calamity like that which robbed 
Mr. Millsiini of the Black-winged Loi"y and many other choice and 
rare hirds, we may hope that nearly the whole of these birds are now 
benefiting by tlieir more spacinns quarters and tlie brighter sun of 
continental iMiropt;, and that the skill, care and knowledge which we 
know Mr. Millsnm possesses, will enable them to enjoy a long life in 
Mr. Panvvel's magnificent aviaries at P^verberg. 
No'i E. — May issue, p. 123, line 10.— " will contain the finest collection 
in the world," should read, "will contain one of the finest private collections 
ill the world." 
Book Notices and Reviews. 
Our Search for a Wilderness.— By Mary Blair Bcebe and C. W. Beebe.— 
Henry ilolt and Co., New York. A close perusal of this interesting, 
practical, and also scientific work, more than confirms what we said in our 
l)reliniinarv notice. This we can best illustrate by one or two extracts 
of thf birds noticed : — 
" HoA'i'zixs {Oj)/.st}ioroi//i(n hmizhi [.!/«//]. An hour later as our dug- 
" out idunds a sharp bend in the caiio. there comes to our ears a series of 
" I'MspiiiL; erics — hoarse and creakiiii; ;is un<iiled wheels. The glasses show 
"a Hock of large l)rown. fowl-like birds in a clumj) of bushes overhanging 
" the water. Their barred wings, and tall, delicate crests tell us that they 
" are the birds of all others which we had hoped to see and study. We 
" are floating witliin a hundred feet of a flock of Hoatzins — the strange 
"reptile-like, living fossils which are found only in this part of the world, 
" which are closely related to no other living birds. 
' As we drew near, the birds fluttered through the foliage as if their 
' wings were broken. We find that this is the usual mode of progression, 
" and for a most interesting reason. Soon after the Hoatzins are hatched and 
"while yet unfledged they aie able to leave the nest and climb about the 
"branches, and in this they are greatly aided by the use of the wings as 
" arms and hands. The three fingers of the wing are each armed with a 
"reptile-like claw, and at the approach of danger the birds climb actively 
" about like squirrels or lizards. It has usually been thought that when 
" they grew up they lose all these reptilian habits and behave as conven- 
" tional feathered bipeds should. But we find that while, of course, the 
■ fingers are deeply hidden beneath, the long flight feathers of the wing, 
" yet these very feathers are often used finger-like in forcing aside thick 
" vines, the birds thus clambering and pushing their way along. 
" It was with the keenest delight of the pioneer and discoverer that we 
"watched these rare creatures. Although they do not nest till until July 
" and August, yet we found them in the very trees and bushes which held 
" the remains of last year's nestss, thus revealing their .sedentary life during 
