Among the Birds in Northern Shires. By Charles Dixon. (Blackie
and Son. 7s. 6d.)—Mr. Dixon's books on birds are already well known, and there is much sameness about them. This volume deals with bird life in the Northern parts of these islands, especially Scotland, and England North of Yorkshire. It is inevitable that a writer who confines himself to popular ornithology in the British Islands, and publishes a new book at frequent intervals, should repeat himself. "Rural Bird Life," "British Sea Birds," "Our Favourite Song Birds," " Bird Life in a Southern County," and several other books with similar titles, involve constant repetition, and we have not found much new matter in the book now before us, nor anything of special interest. The author is an accurate observer,. but, unfortunately, he has a style of writing which is singularly deficient in ease and charm. Mr. Charles Whymper has supplied a number of illustrations, which are tolerably pleasing ; but the book is, on the whole, disappointing, and contains little which is not well known to every observer of birds.
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