18 MAY 1929, Page 21

This little gossiping book, Devon Exmoor, by Will Sherracombe (Heath

Cranton, 2s. 6d.) is very readable. How small a portion of Exmoor is in Devon few but Somerset folk, who possess the greater part of it, realize ; but Mr. Sherracombe handsomely (for a Devon man) admits that scarcely one quarter lies in his county. Much of the book, indeed, relates to country which only a very comprehensive imagination could consider to be Exmoor, though he quotes authority for his claims. _ But we do not quarrel with him for this, for it is all good country, and much of it still unspoiled, though, alas I less wild than it was in the 'eighties and 'nineties. He tells ninny good stories, some of them new, and if only for these the book will be welcome to many who are strangers to the West, The naturalist will criticize some of the author's statements ; for instance, certain Devon cliffs are by no means the last stronghold of the buzzard. There are plenty of them in Somerset (and elsewhere), and not only on the coast. The illustration.s are poor, and not worthy of the book, but there is a useful map. A short index would be an improvement.