Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/258

226 studied the peculiarities of insular faunas can well be reminded that that of the Isle of Wight is a home lesson, and as our author remarks: "Yet it is surely not quite devoid of interest that in that little outpost of England, separated from the New Forest and the most fishful rivers in the south country by a mere ditch, the woods should afford shelter to but few Owls and Woodpeckers, the streams hold neither Pike, nor Perch, nor Chub, nor Gudgeon; that the Ring Ousel should abstain from breeding there; that the Toad should be commoner than the Frog, the Viper in excess of the more harmless snake." Again, among the many singular and obscure causes which regulate or modify the presence of migratory species, an excellent example is drawn from the Channel Islands, where, according to Smith, 'Birds of Guernsey,' "since gin took the place of cider as the national beverage, the orchards have been abandoned, and the whole country is under vegetables for the early London market."

Mr. Aflalo is very conservative in the admission of visitant species to our fauna. Thus he omits the Turtles from the list of British Vertebrates, and gives an instance of how these Chelonians may have had a purely artificial introduction. He is, however, somewhat obscure in the paragraph devoted to the Flying-fish, which, we read, finds its way into our waters, if ever, at long intervals only; and subsequently that "there seems to be little doubt of the occurrence of living examples on our south-west coast." The italics are our own.

It is impossible in our space to notice or summarize the main details of the book, which are devoted to the Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fishes, and Lowest Vertebrates—Lampreys and Hag-fishes. The information thus given will prove useful to those who seek concise information in a convenient referential manner, though it must be remembered that few writers are sufficiently equipped to prevent some stumbles in so wide a purview of British Zoology.

Two useful Appendices are given, which comprise "Materials for a Bibliography of Books on the British Vertebrate Fauna," and "A List of Natural History Societies and Field Clubs in the United Kingdom." With reference to the first, and in relation to the scanty literature on British Reptiles, mention should have been made of the series of articles by the late Edward Newman in 'The Zoologist' for 1869.