. British birds. Birds. mtm. The Migration of Birds. By T. A. Coward. Cambridge University Press. Is. net. We suppose that there are few studies in Natural Science that lend themselves more to theorizing than the origin, •cause, and paths of those complex movements of birds which we call migration. Mr. Coward (whom we associate with the excellent Fauna of Cheshire) in his preface seems cognizant of this, and does not pretend that this little book is more than a " manual," giving an outline of some of the chief theories culled from various sources, with some elaborations and interpret
. British birds. Birds. mtm. The Migration of Birds. By T. A. Coward. Cambridge University Press. Is. net. We suppose that there are few studies in Natural Science that lend themselves more to theorizing than the origin, •cause, and paths of those complex movements of birds which we call migration. Mr. Coward (whom we associate with the excellent Fauna of Cheshire) in his preface seems cognizant of this, and does not pretend that this little book is more than a " manual," giving an outline of some of the chief theories culled from various sources, with some elaborations and interpretations of his own ; therefore it is with no surprise that we find in it little or nothing that is new, and that once more we realize how much at present speculation—good. bad, and indifferent—has to take the place of exact knowledge. The absence of the personal element, the outcome of first- hand observation and knowledge, in the book is, however, in our opinion regrettable, even though the intention of this manual is only to set forth the main features of the subject. We are glad to see that the author realizes the utility of ^studying geographical races in connexion with migration— an inestimable help which many seem slow to recognize. The old theory that those birds which go farthest north in summer go farthest south in winter, seems to us to be by no means proved, for though the theory has support in the known habits of some species, such as the Knot, it is not confirmed by our knowledge of the movements of other species, such as the Snow-Bunting, which even in north Greenland is partial!}^ resident, and partially migratory. Chapter II. deals with the cause and origin of migration, and in it we iind various speculations, some plausible, some not, and none capable of proof, as can only be expected in our present state of knowledge. In this section, we find one or two loose statements. Thus on page 21 we are told that " intense love of home during the spread of g
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