36 NATURE NOTES 
The Life of Mammals. By Ernest Ingersoll. s 2 inches x 8 inches. 555 p«ges, 
15 full-page Colour Plates, and many other illustrations. Macmillan and Co. 
Price 8s. 6d. net. 
In a brief, attractive, and well-illustrated form, a summary of what is known 
with regard to mammals has been skilfully put together by Mr. Ingersoll. It is 
not possible to go into very great detail in a book of this size, but almost everything 
of general interest in connection with mammals is touched upon. As is right, man is 
included, and the chapter on the great apes is very good, as are also the reproduc- 
tions of photographs which illustrate it. When dealing with the sabre-toothed 
tiger, a little note is added, that such an animal might fulfil more nearly the legendary 
requirements of the “ king of beasts ” than does the lion, and it is curious to notice 
that several of the characters of the sabre-tooth are to be seen in the heraldic lion, 
such as the vast mouth, long head, huge forequarters, and widely spreading claws. 
When speaking of the so-called English “ wild white cattle,” Mr. Ingersoll accepts 
Mr. Lydekker’s views on the matter to the effect that they are descendants of the 
giant native Urns ox aurochs, but we might mention that Mr. Hedger Wallace in a 
very careful paper has shown that it is much more likely that they have been derived 
from sacred white cattle introduced from Italy by the Romans. Most of the illus- 
trations are very pleasing, though the old engravings used here and there are hardly 
in keeping with the rest of the pictures. We heartily recommend this book to 
all who are interested in the members of their own class. 
By-Faths in Naittre. By Frank Stevens. 4^ inches x 7J inches. 158 pages, 
numerous illustrations. The Religious Tract Society. Price 2s. 6d. 
This narrative of observations, made chiefly in a country garden, deals more 
especially with insects and spiders, though we find a chapter entitled “ Plants as 
Shopkeepers.” Those who lake up this book will, we are sure, feel the desire to 
finish it and even then be glad of more. The illustrations are of a semi-diagram- 
matic nature, but they are none the worse for that, though any slight inaccuracies 
are made the more evident. It is usual in the case of popular books to find 
that some errors have crept in, and there are, we notice in “ By-Paths in Nature,” 
some unnecessaiily loose expressions. In Natural History, particular words have 
definite meanings, and it should be just as easy to use these rightly as wrongly. 
Take, for instance, the verb “ 10-mimick ” : in ordinary language it surely conveys 
the idea that one living thing imitates another. It would be difficult for a man 
“to take off” any inanimate body, though he might the noise or movement of 
machinery. The term mimicry is employed in Natural History when one animal 
resembles another in appearance or action, therefore, when Mr. Stevens says 
that larvae mimic buds, he is not following custom. He is by no means alone, 
however, for if we remember rightly Mr. Dewar in “The Fatry Year” uses the 
word in exactly the same way. 
Birds. “ Shown to the Children ” Series. By M. K. C. .Scott, described by J. A. 
Henderson. 4J inches x inches. 1 12 jrages, 48 coloured plates. T. C. 
and J. C. Jack. Price 2S. 6d. net. 
Flowers. “ Shown to the Children ” Series. By Janet Harvey Kelman, described 
by C. E. Smith. 4'i inches x inches. 154 pages, 48 coloured plates. 
T. C. and J. C. Jack. Price 2s. 6d. net. 
In children’s books the pictures are usually the important part, and in the 
two small volumes under consideration we lind that the artist’s name comes first 
on the title page. We think that such books will serve an excellent juirpose, 
for in the first place they will tell children what to expect or look f .r before they 
go on rambles, and help them to discover what they have seen when they come 
back again. Altogether, the books are very prettily got up and should prove 
extremely popular. 
Familiar 7 'rees. Volume I. By Professor G. S. Botilger. 5J inches x 7',' 
inches. 160 pages. Cassell and Co. Price 6s. 
A notice of the first six parts of this volume has already appeared in Nature 
Notes. It remains for us to say that the fust series when bound up makes a very 
handsome volume. Some, no doubt, will prefer the photographic illustrations 
to the reproductions of drawings by the three-colour process, but there is no 
