THERE is genuine need for a sound, practical book on
the " language " of birds ; and although the high hopes with which one opens Mr. Turnbull's well-written book are not fulfilled in the reading, there is nevertheless much here to interest the amateur. The book is intended for those who already possess a working knowledge of bird-life—with three special chapters of rather obvious good advice for beginners. Perhaps the best sections are those dealing with such subjects as the How and Why of bird-song, mimicry, simula- tion and the " component elements of bird-song." Mr. Turnbull knows his subject, has plenty of enthusiasm, and keeps a healthily open mind on some of the theories so emphatically put forward by certain modern ornithologists. The weakest part of his book is, unfortunately, that to which the student will most frequently wish to turn: namely, his analyses of the songs of both our major and minor " melodists." It would indeed be difficult for anyone not already acquainted with the songs and calls of these birds to locate them from Mr. Turnbull's rather vague descriptions. He does wisely to avoid any parallel with our own musical notation ; but at the same time it must be owned that the bird-lover will get more help in his attempts at identification from either the literary descriptions of Coward or the ingenious metaphors of Hudson. Forty-six quite astonishing bird-photographs (mostly by Mr. Ian Thomson), though of necessity they can add nothing to illuminate the text, do of themselves make this little book a delight to possess.
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