Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/423

Rh created no reminiscence of his awful death when we ate it at a late breakfast; and we are still sufficiently unregenerate to hope that those who have the accident in opportunity to shoot will remember us in the autumn. But this does not invalidate the argument of Mr. Selous, and let us remember that the evolution of ethics has been very slow, and is still going on; while that we have moral obligations to other animals than ourselves is a fact only dawning as a revelation. The prophet and reformer must be always in advance of their times, and possibly this is a mark of their true vocation.

has made good use of his visits to Ultima Thule by collecting the material for this Manual. He prefaces his small volume with some valuable hints as to the pronunciation of Icelandic names, and remarks that "many of us seem to consider ourselves entitled to be a law unto ourselves in the manner of the pronunciation and spelling of foreign names and words." A remonstrance on this point will probably always apply, but even some may ask with reference to English words why Mr. Slater spells the name of the Duck generally known as "Shoveler" with a double l? The "Bibliography" is a specially welcome feature, and some of the books are recommended "as likely to be useful." We are quite sure that Mr. Slater's book now under notice supplies a want, and will be more than useful; but all books must be studied by and for themselves. Many an out-of-the-way record is frequently found, and found only, in a decidedly bad book.

Those who take an interest in the advancing science of folklore will find a subject of much interest in Mr. Slater's account of the Cuckoo, "which has never been known to occur in Iceland; and yet few Icelanders will be ignorant (they almost universally have a literary turn) of the Icelandic name of the Cuckoo—Gaukr, which is Eddaic, and yet, though the bird is non-existent in Iceland, well known to-day." One of the most entertaining narratives is that connected with the Northern