Wild Life in Hampshire Highlands. By G. A. B. Dewar.
(J. M. Dent and Co. 7s. 6d.)—The Hampshire highlands, which Mr. Dewar most pleasantly describes in this volume of the "Haddon Hall Library," lie in the north-western corner of one of our most favoured counties, bordering on Wiltshire on the west, and Berkshire on the north. Yet, as he truly says, in spite of the charms and beauties of the district, it is a portion of the county little considered, and rarely visited by travellers. It may be that the district has greater attractions for those who have their homes there, than for mere sight-seers. Mr. Dewar begins with a general account of the district and 'a Hampshire home :—" The house stands in a small park or clearing in the midst of the great oak or hazel woods which climb steadily up one of those rounded chalk-hills that, alternating with broad and sweeping valleys, form such familiar features of our North Hampshire scenery. A home built in the centre of dense and secluded woodlands, miles from a town, almost miles from a village, should it not be a paradise for the lover of the wild life and sports which have such a hold on the affections of our English country people ? It is one of the objects of this volume to try and show that in a home like this, one out of very many in southern shires not less happily placed, no portion of the year can be without its delights for the field-naturalist or for the sportsman, who is content with a small and perhaps mixed bag, and sets much store by charming south country scenes, and the pleasures of observing a great variety of wild life." Mr. Dewar has an unaffected love of country things, and he writes of country pleasures with thorough feeling. We have had many such books of recent years, but few better than this. The nest- ing places of birds, the methods of trout-fishing in Hampshire streams, the ways of butterflies in summer, the shooting of partridges in autumn,—all these are written of by Mr. Dewar. He has something to say as well about plants; but we doubt whether he is much of a botanist, or he would not write about woodland flowers growing in profusion, and mention among them the blue pimpernel. Surely he does not mean Anagallis cwrulea. But this will not prevent his book being read with great pleasure.
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