BOOK REVIEWS
165
important to the well-being of humans than train-spotting". Mr.
Christian writes of the need to give the public some understanding of
the immense contribution that science can make to the efficient use of
our natural resources and the contentment of the nation.
The most urgent priority of all naturalists is to join their county
Naturalists' Trust. In the words with which Mr. Christian concludes his
book, "most of all we need more people who care".
Alan Heathcote.
The Clay Tobacco pipe in Britain. By L. S. Harley. Essex Field Club
Special Memoirs, 8, 40 pages. 1963. 10/-.
It is pleasant to prepare a review of Mr. Harley's monograph, for
publication in The Essex Naturalist. As a museum curator my first
reaction is a selfish one. If such an excellent small book could receive
the wide circulation which it deserves, less enquiries would be received
from the public about clay pipes turned up in the garden, and the work
of the museum would be lightened.
A work like this with its many illustrations of dated examples and
details of makers' marks has been needed for a long time. Already its
existence has produced at least one new specimen of known provenance
and it may not be very long before Mr. Harley finds it necessary to
produce a supplement.
Lately archaeologists have been making a serious attempt to take
stock of the vast amount of material which is now available for study and,
as a result, the corpus form of publication has been more frequent of
appearance than previously. Such works are invaluable and the Essex
Field Club is to be congratulated for their act of sponsorship.
In his foreword Mr. Harley is far too modest. Much of the difficulty
in considering the clay pipe in its archaeological and historical context
has been that the literature on the subject has been buried in the files of
learned journals, from which it has not always been easy to disinter. A
book referring specifically to a subject is invariably of great help, for
its references as well as its content.
As is said in the Memoir, the clay pipe bowl can be a useful dating
guide in the study of post medieval archaeology, and specimens from
known sites are especially valuable. The Passmore Edwards Museum is
always glad to examine such finds and pass on those of particular interest
to the author of this memoir.
Kenneth Marshall.
Prehistoric Reptiles And Birds. By Josef Augusta. Paul Hamlyn. 12s. 6d.
The most outstanding and striking thing about this book are the
illustrations and coloured plates, and these alone are worth the few
shillings that it costs.
It must be stated that this work is primarily for the beginner; Dr.
Augusta sets his facts in a simple and straight-forward manner hence
making it easy reading, a point which some authors tend to ignore.
The first section is devoted to the Flying Reptiles. He gives a brief
anatomical description of these creatures, followed by an account of some