76 
NATURE NOTES. 
are inclined almost to resent Mr. Leland’s consideration in giving “ in parentheses 
the correct form of many words.” Those who experience any difficulty will find 
it disappear if they read aloud any words which appear to them strange. Such 
books as this offer many temptations to the reviewer, but the exigencies of space 
will not allow us to dwell at length upon its interesting contents. But we can 
at any rate — and this is, after all, the best thing that a reviewer can do for a good 
book — recommend our readers to buy the volume for themselves. In the present 
instance, a word must also be said for the quaint and unconventional illustrations, 
some of which are extremely funny. 
While on this point, a paragraph in the “ Official Notices,” at p. 8o, seems to 
render it necessary for us once more to say that the value of reviews appears to us 
to depend entirely upon their honesty. It is always more pleasant to praise than 
to blame ; but if the reviewer is not to say honestly what he thinks of a book, he 
had better hold his tongue. In some quarters it seems to us that other influences 
than the value of the book under notice have weight with the reviewer. This has 
not been, and so long as we occupy the editorial chair will not be, the case with the 
reviews in Nature Notes. We cannot, for example, extend to such an echo of 
the weaker notes of Richard Jefferies’ work as is brought under our notice in 
Mr. J. H. Pickard’s Sunbeams and Summer (Digby and Long, no date !) the re- 
commendation which we have given elsewhere to Life in the Fields. These Sun- 
beams are too feeble to penetrate far ; their light is borrowed, and “ moonbeams ” 
would be a better title. It looks a very easy matter to write as Jefferies wrote ; 
but try it, and you will once more realise how deceptive appearances are. Or put 
a page of Mr. Pickard’s book beside a sentence of Jefferies — the print of the 
former is so large that the proportion is fairly accurate — and you will at once see, 
if you know “the country life,” the poverty of the former and the wealth of 
the latter. Mr. Pickard knows names where Jefferies knew things, and he harps 
so long upon one string that his melody becomes a monotone — a term which he 
rather oddly applies to the note of the cuckoo. He says he never wearies of “ the 
exact repetition of scented bloom and flowercupali around but the “ repetition” 
in real life is not “exact — ” if it were, we should weary of it as we do of Mr. 
Pickard, and as we do 7 iot of Richard Jefferies. By what towing path did the 
writer find at the same time, “ golden iris,” “ purple loosestrife,” and “ great beds 
of marsh marigolds with wide expanded blossoms ” ? 
SELBORNIANA. 
Protection of Wild Birds. — An admirable poster has been issued by the 
R.S.P.C.A. It may no doubt be obtained of the secretary, Mr. John Colam, 
105, Jermyn Street, S.W., and should be widely distributed in suitable places. 
We hope Selbornians will take the matter up. The bill runs as follows : — • 
“Protection oe Wild Birds. 
“ Any person who shall during the close time provided for all wild birds (includ- 
ing nestlings) shoot, trap, snare, net, or otherwise take any wild bird ; or shall 
have any wild bird in his possession ; or shall refuse to give his name and place 
of abode when desired by any person who may discover him committing either of 
the above offences, will be prosecuted by the police, or by the above .Society. 
“ The close time for Middlesex (County Council area) and Hertfordshire is, from 
February ist to August 31st ; for Anglesey, from March 1st to October 1st ; for 
Devonshire, Durham, Huntingdonshire, and Northumberland, from March 1st to 
August 31st ; for Yorkshire (North Riding), from March ist to August nth ; for 
Essex, Isle of Ely, Liberty of Peterborough, Lincoln (parts only), from March 
15th to August 31st ; for all other parts from March ist to July 31st. 
“ Owners and occupiers of land, and persons authorised by either of them, but no 
one else, are allowed for the protection of their gardens or field crops to kill or 
take certain wild birds on such land (nowhere else) but even they are forbidden to 
kill or take any bird included in the following list, viz.; — American quail, auk, 
avocet, bee-eater, bitterne, bonxie, colin, cornish chough, coulterneb, cuckoo, 
curlew, diver, dotterell, dunbird, dunlin, eider duck, fern owl, fulmar, gannet. 
