28 
NATURE NOTES 
exclusively ornithological, with less pleasure than any previous works of its 
author. We do not share his views of the uselessness of the best collections of 
stuffed birds, and we cannot for a moment accept his theory that the charm of 
flowers is at all largely dependent upon human associations, such as blue eyes, 
flesh tints, &c. We were beginning to wish that Mr. Hudson were gaining fresh 
inspiration on the Pampas of the Argentine when we reached his three conclud- 
ing chapters, and immediately forgave him much that had bored us in the first 
eleven. Here we have, apropos more especially of the Hartford Warbler, a 
plainly but cogently reasoned argument that the only way to protect our vanishing 
avifauna is to prohibit by law the collecting of British birds by private persons. 
And then, after one of those charming sketches of birds in London with which 
his previous volumes have familiarised us, comes a paper on Selborne for which 
alone we should have been sorry to have missed the book, for here we have a 
simple explanation, yet one that permits not a moment’s doubt, of the much- 
debated vitality of Gilbert White’s work. What this explanation is we must 
refer the reader to Mr. Hudson’s book to discover. 
Beautiful Birds. By Edmund Selous. With illustrations by Hubert D. Astiey. 
Messrs. Dent and Co. Price 4s. 6d. net. 
Mr. Selous has proved before this that he can v^’rite for children, and that his 
heart is filled with truly Selbornian love for wild animals. He has written in 
this book a pleasant description for children’s own reading of the most beautiful 
birds in the world, especially birds of paradise, humming-birds, and white egrets, 
and Mr. Astiey has illustrated the volume with a series of drawings that are 
— according to our taste — far too hard. But the hook is one long conspiracy of 
rescue : it is an appeal to the children to help. These concluding words sum up 
the whole : — 
“ There are not going to be frozen-hearted women in the world any more now, 
because their little children will soon have thawed all their hearts. ... So 
now ask your dear, dear mother to make just one more promise. . . . Just 
go to her and throw your arms round her neck, and whisper : ‘ Mother, promise 
not to wear any feathers except the beautiful ostrich feathers that you look so 
lovely in.’ As soon as she has promised, then all the beautiful birds in the world 
(and that means all the birds, for all birds are beautiful) will be ,saved, and it is 
you and other little children who will have, saved them. So, of course, you must 
keep on saying ‘ Promise,’ till .she does." 
Obviously this is a book to be sown broadcast through our junior branches and 
Bands of Mercy. 
A Text-book of Zoology. By G. P. Mudge, A. R.C.Sc. Edward Arnold. 
Price 7s. 6d. 
Many and diverse arc the directions from which we can approach the study 
of the animal world. To the Selbornian the outdoor study of the living animal 
and its habits appeals most directly, whilst those who have access to large public 
collections may be attracted by the minute serial variations that form the basis 
of .systematic zoology. No one, however, can be a zoologist without some know- 
ledge of anatomy, and it is mainly from the standpoint of comparative anatomy 
that Mr. Mudge approaches his subject. Much of the book is occupied with a 
detailed comparison of all the organs of the dog-fish, frog and rabbit, with a 
chapter on the lancelct, and a similar comparison of the crayfish, cockroach, 
fie.sh-water mussel and earthworm, with chapters on IJydra, Paratnacium and 
Amoeba. There are, however, a brief but excellent Introduction on " the scope 
of biology,’’ and some admirable summaries of the latest phases of our knowledge 
of karyokincsis, embryology, heredity and variation, the latter being stated with 
strict impartiality towards conflicting theories. We hope some day to see these 
chapters form the basis of an independent volume. Though thus obviously based 
on the type system and designed primarily for the examination candidate, the 
work would form a very good introduction to the studies of any serious student 
of animal life. Mr. Mudge is to be trusted, as evidently thoroughly acquainted 
with his subject, and his exposition, though necessarily brief and technical, is 
