The illustrations, which speak for themselves, are absolutely true to nature, having, in the great majority of instances, been photographed under the personal superintendence of Mr. Rowland Ward from specimens mounted at his studios in Piccadilly for this particular purpose. A considerable number of these specimens have been presented by Mr. Ward to the Natural History Museum, where they are exhibited in the British Saloon at the end of the Bird Gallery.
A novel feature is the omission of the names of authorities and observers of the facts recorded in this volume, many of whom are unknown to the general public. This is justified by the circumstance that when a statement has once been published it becomes public property.
In certain books on the same subject it has been attempted to draw a distinction between birds which can properly be regarded as British and those which cannot lay a claim to such a privilege. Any such distinction is, however, manifestly an impossibility, and all the species are accordingly treated in serial order, although such as are mere stragglers are not accorded insets of their own in the text.
The introduction of a certain number of technical terms relating to the plumage, such as wing-coverts, primary and secondary quills, etc., is unavoidable. The meaning of these—as well as of other terms used in scientific ornithology—will, however, be made apparent at a glance by the diagrammatic sketch of the topography of a bird's plumage on page xviii.
In future editions, should such be called for, it will be the special aim of both the publisher and author to keep the work up to date.
R. LYDEKKER.
Harpenden Lodge, Herts, August 1908.
