REVIEWS AND EXCHANGES 
233 
Okapi, at South Kensington. Dr. Renshaw gives us nearly forty illustrations 
which have the advantage of being from actual photographs, though they are 
rather small. Naturally this work from the pen and camera of so thoroughly 
Sellxjrnian a naturalist as Dr. Renshaw contains a detailed record of the remain- 
ing museum relics of the Quagga, exterminated within the last thirty years, 
together with the expression of the hope, in which we all share, that the action 
of the signatories of the recent International Conference in creating game- 
preserves may prevent other species from sharing its fate. 
Superstitions about Animals. By Frank Gibson. Walter Scott Publishing Co. 
Price 3s. 6d. 
The author of this unpretentious little book divides his subject into the three 
divisions of Signs and Omens, Distortion of facts of Natural History, and 
Creatures of the Imagination. These are fascinating topics and much more 
might have been said about them, while some copies of old illustrations, such as 
Gerard’s Barnacle Geese, the heraldic “ Pelican in her pity,” or the Essex Serpent, 
would be very acceptable and germane to the subject. With reference to the 
jewel in the head of the toad something might have been said as to the toadstone, 
the vomerine tooth of fossil pycnodont fishes formerly worn as a gem ; nor can we 
altogether indorse the author’s wholesale denial of the ability of the chameleon to 
alter his colour to suit his surroundings, or the scorn he heaps on the poets who 
write of slimy snakes. One of our greatest authorities. Dr. Gadow, says of the 
former, “These changes are not absolutely unconscious ; they are, after all, under 
the control of the creature. . . . Linnsus has summed up the little we really 
know about the causes of these changes in the following terse sentence : “ V’ivus 
varies colores assuniit secundum animi passiones, calorem et frigus.” The notion 
of snake slime may well be attributable to the garlic-smelling secretion which the 
common grass-snake emits when displeased. Mr. Gibson has given a readable 
essay ; but he might at least have divided his volume into chapters. 
Healthy Game. By the Rev. E. A. Woodruffe-Peacock. Louth : J. W. Goulding 
and .Son. Price is. 
This pamphlet, dealing with the epizootic and other diseases of grouse and 
pheasants, will doubtless prove valuable to all game-preservers. We notice that 
the author is positive that the fatal disease known as “ froth” is caused by the 
swallowing of a live larva of the Cuckoo-spit or Frog-hopper {Aprophora 
spumaria). 
Reports and Transactions of the Ealing Natitral Science aud Microscopical 
Society for 1903-4. 
This is a model of what such a Report should be, containing, as it does, 
besides the usual list of members and meteorological summary, an obituary with 
full bibliography of the late John Allen Brown, by Mr. B. B. Woodward, and 
abstracts only of nine lectures on varied subjects. It is interesting to learn that at 
Ealing they had I9'82 inches of rain, or 5'47 inches below the forty years average, 
in 1902, and 39'03 inches, I3'74 inches above it, in 1903. As illustrating the 
comparative worthlessness of single phenological observations the following table 
is instructive : — 
First Crocus in Flower 
1902 
Feb. 20 
1903 
Feb. S 
1904 
Feb. 26 
,, Peach ,, 
March 22 
March 7 
April 3 
„ Pear „ 
April 15 
March 2I 
April 18 
,, Plum ,, 
April 16 
March 22 
April 9 
„ Cherry „ 
April II 
March 23 
April 10 
„ Apple ,, 
April 9 
March 30 
April 24 
Bird Notes from the Nile. By Lady William Cecil. Constable and Co. Price 
2s. 6d. net. 
This dainty little volume of about 120 pages is singularly complete, and will 
doubtless be in request with the ever-increasing numbers of tourists who visit 
Upper Egypt. It contains a list with English, Latin and Arabic names, habitats 
