66 THE LIBRARY TABLE.
not to be found in anything like so clear and ample a form in any other work ;
and he would have been fully justified in making such a claim. In this
respect, indeed, his book is practically exhaustive.
The volume consists of an "Introduction," two "Parts," and a
"Summary."
In the introduction we have an explanation of the scheme of the book ;
a general survey of the subject, including an examination of the claims of
certain casually-occurring species to a place on the British list ; a catalogue of
the more important County or other local Avifaunas which have appeared since
1866, when Mr. Harting's well-known Birds of Middlesex appeared ; some sensible
remarks upon the much-debated subjects of classification and nomenclature,
in the course of which Mr. Harting opposes (we are glad to see) the blind
application of the generally-useful "priority" law ; a brief "consideration of
"the terms employed to designate the various groups of birds which are
"placed in Parts I. and II."; and, finally, an acknowledgment of help
received, from which it appears that Prof. A. Newton, Mr. Howard Saunders,
and Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown have been good enough to read through the
proofs. No author could desire more competent help.
It is interesting to note that our author groups British birds as
follows:—
(1) Residents .. .. .. 130
(2) Periodical Migrants .. .. 100
(3) Annual Visitants .. .. 32
(4) Rare and Accidental Visitors .. 167
Total .. .. .. 429
Part I. of Mr. Harting's Handbook treats of "British Birds properly so-
called "—those, that is, included in the first three of the four "groups"
mentioned above. Under each species, four dimensions or measurements
are given—the total length, the length of bill, the length of wing, and the
length of tarsus. Then follows information as to the status of the bird in
Britain—its abundance, distribution, the time or times of its appearance,
if not resident, and so forth. Frequently, information is added on other
points—some of them, one cannot help thinking, somewhat unnecessary in a
"Handbook" of the kind, though always interesting. To the working
ornithologist, a very valuable feature of Part I. is found in the large number
of references Mr. Harting gives to discussions of, or articles on, interesting
ornithological points which have appeared in scientific journals. In these
references, one sees Mr. Harting's almost-unrivalled knowledge of the
literature of British ornithology.
Part II. deals with the "Rare and Accidental Visitants." Here, again,
we have, under each species, the sarae four dimensions or measurements, for
purposes of identification; together with a brief reference to the region each
species inhabits, and a few critical remarks on its occurrences in Britain. The
chief feature, however, of Part II. is its lists of occurrences, given under
each species, with references to published authorities for each occurrence.
These lists are, in style, the same as those which appeared in the well-known
first edition ; but they are, of course, amplified and brought up to date. They