Volume 9 - Electric Scotland

REVIEWS 61
his labours, and to express our admiration at the manner in which
he has accomplished a most arduous and difficult task.
We hope now that Mr. Saunders will turn his attention to the
larger work which has become a desideratum for British ornithology,
and our knowledge of British birds in all lands, grows apace -
namely, a new edition of Yarrell's
" British Birds," by the author who
has proved himself to be on all occasions such an able exponent of
the subject.
A LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS BELONGING TO THE HUMBER
DISTRICT (HAVING SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR MIGRATIONS),
REVISED TO APRIL 1899. By John Cordeaux, J.P., F.R.G.S.,
M.B.O.U., etc. (London: R. H. Porter, 1899.)
Since this valuable and acceptable List was issued, its author,
one of the most excellent of men, has passed from among us. It is
his last published work. The loss of John Cordeaux to British
Natural History is a great one. Equally great is the loss sustained
by a host of his friends, for he was no ordinary man to those who
kneiv him. Possessed, beyond most, of those rare qualities which
make a man lovable as well as honoured, he won our affectionate
regard as well as our great respect and admiration. We desire to
place on record this little tribute to the memory of our old and
valued friend and able colleague one with whom we have been so
intimately, so pleasurably, and so advantageously associated for so
many years.
The List, it is almost unnecessary to state, is an admirable one.
It treats of one of the most interesting faunal areas in Britain, and is
written by him who was associated with it through a lifelong connection
as a naturalist one, too, who was unrivalled as an observer
and as an authority on the subject of migration. Although
it
contains only 40 pages, it treats of no less than 322 species, and
tells us all that is essential concerning their status and their migrations.
It is a valuable contribution to British ornithology and to the
phenomenon of bird-migration, as observed on our coasts, and is
indispensable to all who are interested in these subjects and they
are many.
BIRD LIFE IN AN ARCTIC SPRING. The Diaries of Dan
Meinertzhagen and R. P. :
Hornby. (London R. H. Porter,
1899.)
A reviewer of this little tribute of parental affection has no easy
task. Snatched away at the age of twenty-three, Mr Meinertzhagen
had shown that he possessed the inborn genius of a naturalist, while
his education and position gave promise of a brilliant career. It is
not expressly so stated, but we may perhaps presume that his desire
to see for himself the home of so many birds which rarely or
never breed with us led him northward as it has led others ;
for
assuredly the incunabula of the species which yearly winter in these