190 
NATURE NOTES 
A Text-book of Astronomy. By Professor George C. Comstock, of the University 
of Wisconsin. Twentieth Century Text-books. Hirschfeld Brothers. Price 
7s. 6d. net. 
As each volume of this series makes its appearance, it maintains the character 
of its predecessors for workmanlike thoroughness. Though, by a happy thought, 
rendered attractive by four full-page portraits of the greatest astronomers and by 
views of famous observatories, this is no gossipy reading-book, but a text-book 
for students, dwelling especially upon the observational and experimental side of 
the subject, and only leading up to such speculations as the nebular hypothesis at 
the close of a logical sequence of lessons. The illustrations, and indeed the whole 
work, are refreshingly original, and the inclusion of a card protractor in a pocket 
in the cover marks its practical intention. 
An Essay on the Protection of British Birds, By H. S. Davenport. J. W. 
Warner, Melton Mowbray. Price 6d. 
Mr. Davenport unfortunately has a grievance, apparently in that this essay of 
his failed to meet the approval of the Committee of the Society for the Protection 
of Birds, and was not submitted by them to their final arbiter. Canon Tristram. 
He has a very easy task in pointing out the ignorance of ornitholog)’ displayed 
by County Councils, and deprecates as over zealous the wholesale protection of 
all species indiscriminately. The W'ild Birds Protection Acts must soon be 
entirely overhauled, reconsidered, codified and enforced, and those who are 
responsible for this task will doubtless consider the arguments which Mr. 
Davenport so forcibly expresses. 
British Blood Sforts. Humanitarian League. Price 2d. 
This is a collection of twelve leaflets, including Tame Stag Hunting and Fox 
Hunting, by the Rev. J. Stratton ; Pigeon Shooting, by Arthur Harvie ; Coursing, 
Hare-hunting, The Otter Worry and Shooting, by Colonel Coulson ; The Wild 
Stag Hunt, by the Rev. H. C. Ricketts ; Deer-stalking, by Lady Florence Dixie ; 
The Slaughter of “ Big Game,” by Ernest Bell; and Angling, which is unsigned. 
While every Selbornian will probably be in sympathy with some, perhaps most, 
of these leaflets, it may be doubled whether the Humanitarian League does not 
lessen the force of its attack against any one of these forms of “sport,” by the mere 
act of stitching them together. They should remember the fable of the bundle of 
sticks. 
Board of AgtictiUm e Leaflet, No. 68, Currant Aphides ; and No. 69, Tent 
Caterpillars : the I.ackey RIoth and the Broivn Tail. 
The local secretaries of our country branches should write to the Secretary, 
Board of Agriculture, 4, Whitehall Place, S.W., without stamping their letters, 
for copies ot these, and of the other leaflets issued by the Board, which will be 
sent free of charge and post free, and should be read out in every school or 
village institute in our rural districts. 
Received: — The Victorian Naturalist for July and August; Science Gossip, 
The Naturalist, The Naturalists' Journal, The Irish NaUiralist, Our Animat 
Friends, Humanity, The Animals' Friend and The Agricultural Economist for 
August and September. 
