14 
NATURE NOTES. 
foreigner has to say about our familiar birds, and Mr. Hudson 
must forgive us for saying that he is, in a sense, somewhat of a 
foreigner ; that is to say, he learnt his birds, and his grammar 
of field ornithology, among the avifauna of another and a distant 
country. During eight months’ residence in South America, 
spent in studying the ways of the birds wdiich were l\Ir. Hudson’s 
early friends in an adjacent republic, we learnt to value and 
appreciate the graphic and accurate accounts he has -written 
of the “ Birds of the Argentine Republic;” and this makes us 
regret the more that he has not had greater opportunities of 
studying the birds of this country. We cannot but feel, as we 
turn over the pages of the present volume, that he has been 
obliged to compile rather largely. This he has, it is true, done 
wdth discrimination. The life-histories appear, on the whole, to 
be faithful as well as pleasant pictures of our bird life, though 
here and there we are inclined to take exception to some of his 
statements. For instance, it is not quite correct to class the 
song thrush as a summer migrant of the same standing as the 
ring ouzel (p. 39), for, given a mild season, plenty of song thrushes 
may be heard singing about Christmas. Neither do we think it 
is quite correct to say that the missel thrush is loudest (in song) 
in wet and rough weather. Although a little stormy weather 
does not easily silence him, yet we think he sings best on a warm, 
still, winter’s day — one of those days, too warm and genial for the 
season, wdiich in some parts of the country are called by the 
expressive name of “weather-breeders,” because they are so 
often followed closely by a return of the rigours of winter. In 
this way, probably, the idea that the stormcock’s song foreboded 
stormy weather sprang up. We should like to know what 
evidence there is to support the statement that this bird rears 
tw'O or three broods in the season. The missel thrush is one of 
the earliest birds to gather in flocks in summer. To say that the 
pied flycatcher is, in its nesting and feeding habits, and its par- 
tiality for orchards and gardens, like the spotted fl}-catcher, is 
misleading, for it differs somewhat on all these points. The 
“other song” of the wood wuen (p. 78) is, we imagine, the 
call-note of the male, which is different to that of the female. 
A few more things of this kind might be pointed out, but on 
the whole the young naturalist will find very little that is inac- 
curate, and very much which will yield him pleasure and profit, 
in the perusal of these pages. A notable point of the book 
is Mr. Beddard’s valuable essay on the anatomy and classifica- 
tion of birds, which the young (as well as the old) ornithologist 
should read carefully, undismayed by certain tough words he 
will encounter. 
The illustrations alone are worth more than the price of the 
book. What would the young ornithologist have given for them 
twenty years ago ! The eight coloured plates by Mr. Thorburn 
are a treat to look at, but we call especial attention to the eight 
plates in black and white by Mr. Lodge — pictures of bird-life. 
