BOOK
THE HANDBOOK edited by
REVIEWS
OF BRITISH H. N.
(.Published by Blackwell,
MAMMALS
SOUTHERN
Oxford,
1964, at 37j6d.)
" BIRDS, butterflies and plants, the principal preoccupations of amateur naturalists, need little seeking. T h e mammals that are left in the British Isles, on the other hand, are secretive and require time and trouble to observe. There are, however, some methods—tricks, if you like—which make Observation simpler and this chapter will consider them." T h e title and this quotation from the chapter on field work describe this book in a nutshell, for it is divided into two parts. The systematic account of our British Mammals contains practically everything that is now known of them but one of the things which will surprise the general naturalist is the discovery that so much remains to be learned about even the commonest of them. The other part gives an introduction, both theoretical and practical, to the study of mammals with füll accounts of the best methods of Observation and research. In short for any naturalist this book provides both spur and corn—a summary of all that is now known and what remains to be discovered and the best methods to use to fill those gaps in our knowledge. The drawings by Robert Gillmor and the photographs are excellent and those naturalists who do not feel the spur of curiosity will be more than satisfied by the corn of information. This is a book designed for the specialist and general naturalist alike and to show those whose interest has been aroused by wireless or television how they can take the next step of learning how to watch and study the animals which are all around us. C.
KING by
TODD
NORAH
BURKE
(.Published by Putnam at 21 /-) It is no small honour to our Society that one of our Council should have published a book on her own observations on the life of a badger. Miss Norah Burke has described his life with detailed understanding and at the same time has succeeded in avoiding the trap of anthromorphism into which the life of an individual animal can so easily fall. It would be hard for anyone