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OUR BOOK SHELF

A History of the Birds of Europe. Parts 18, 19, 20. By H. E. Dresser, F.Z.S., &c. (Published by the Author at 11, Hanover Square.)

THIS fine work continues to appear with commendable regularity every month, and keeps up its high character both for fulness of information and beauty of illustration. In the numbers now noticed are several highly artistic plates, such as those which represent the White-shouldered and Imperial Eagles, the Great Black-headed Gull, the Common Crane, the White Stork, and the Great Bustard, which each form a perfect picture. We find full but not too lengthy articles on all these, as well as on the Black Grouse, the Curlew, and many smaller birds. An excellent plan is adopted, in the more characteristic and difficult European genera, of giving a list of all the

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known species, with notes of their distinguishing characters and geographical distribution. One of the most rare and interesting species figured (in Part 20) is the Teydean Chaffinch, a bird of a blue colour, and which is confined to the upper limits of the pine forests of the Peak of Teneriffe, and to the desolate plains above them, feeding on the seeds of the Retanca (a broom-like plant) and the Adenocarpus frankenoides, which characterise those regions, as well as on the seeds of Pinus canariensis.

A. R. W.