90 
NATURE NOTES 
contained a notice from an observer saying that three young 
redstarts had been seen near Hyde Park Corner ; but I respect- 
fully suggest that the birds in question were spotted flycatchers. 
I have never known the redstart to nest in Hyde Park, nor 
even seen it in London during the summer months, though it 
appears regularly passing through town on migration in April. 
The last interesting ornithological event which I have to 
record occurred on November 14, when a whole family of long- 
tailed tits, seven or eight in number, flew across my path as I 
entered Kensington Gardens from Lancaster Gate, and this was 
a sight that I had never before seen in London. 
51, Gloucester Terrace, A. Holte Macpherson. 
Hyde Park, W. February 20, 1904. 
REVIEWS AND EXCHANGES. 
Quiet Hours with Nature. By Mrs. Brightwen, F.Z.S., F. E. S. T. Fisher 
Unwin. Price 5s. 
We feel that our Vice-President, the authoress of this volume, has been very 
generous to the public. The possessor of a charming estate, with a beautiful 
garden, rich not only in flowers w'hich any gardener can get together in a year or 
two, but in fine trees, the legacy of her predecessors, owning, moreover, many 
animal friends tamed by her kindness, she has shared her garden and her pets 
with all who will read her volumes. Following the lead of our President, Mrs. 
Brightwen' gives us a study of seedlings — those of trees, and she also devotes 
several chapters to individual species of trees when fully grown, including the 
Elm, the Scots Fir, the Cedar, the Wellingtonia, and the Tulip tree. Such 
“eccentric” flowers of the greenhouse as the Aroids, Aristolochias, Masdevallia 
and Gloriosa are interestingly described, and the description of a gourd-pergola 
will assuredly e-Kcite the envy if not the emulation of many a gardener. Squirrels, 
voles, jerboas, ortolans, a stag-beetle and a spider, figure among the pets of whom 
the authoress lovingly discourses. The book is fully illustrated, mostly with 
views of The Grove, Stanmore, and its many living treasures. One picture gives 
us a pleasing miniature of Mrs. Brightwen herself. We rather wish that none but 
these local pictures had been included, Californian giant Sequoias and Wigwams 
from American wilds suggesting somewhat the Sunday-school raree-show. The 
two or three pages so occupied might well be replaced by an index. Mostly 
reprinted, as it is, from The Girls' Own Paper, the volume will form a most 
acceptable present to any of our younger Selbornians. 
A Text-book of Geology. By W. Jerome Harrison, h'.G.S. Fifth Edition. Blackie 
and Son. Price 3s. 6d. 
That this text-book has reached a fifth edition proves that it has “ met a 
want.” It is admirably adapted for the elementary stage of the Board of Educa- 
tion Examinations, but not in our opinion quite adequate for the advanced stage. 
It would, in fact, be difficult to produce within such a comp.ass a book that would 
be so. The present edition differs from that of 1897 mainly in an excellent six- 
page table of the ranges in time of the principal genera of invertebrates. One 
slight addition is, we think, unfortunate, viz., the citation on p. 206 of 
“ Ueutozoic ” as a synonym for Upper Palieozoic. Surely it should be “ Deu- 
terozoic.” Advantage might have been taken of the re-issue to correct one or 
two archai.sms, such as “ endogens ” and “ acotyledons ” on pp. 176 and 177, 
the explanations of these terms containing statements not in accord with our 
present knowledge. There are, however, but few of such blemishes. A most 
interesting frontispiece from a photograph of Scarborough Castle Rock has been 
prefixed to this edition. 
