Birds, Beasts, and Fishes of the Norfolk Broad - land. By P.
11.
Emerson, M.R.C.S. Illustrated. (David Nutt.) —In his preface to this book the author goes out of his way to depreciate "The Birds of Norfolk," the work of the late Mr. Stevenson, whom he accuses of "attempts at fine writing and poetry," and of "not knowing intimately the outdoor life of the birds he wrote about, from personal observation ; " his book he also considers "stupidly illustrated." We have referred again to "The Birds of Norfolk." Comparing the illustrations by the veteran Mr. J. Wolf in Mr. Stevenson's third volume, with the photographs, mainly from stuffed birds, in Mr. Emerson's work, and the matter and style of the former with that of the latter, we do not hesitate to say that we would prefer to own the single picture of the gulls' colony in Scoulton Mere by Wolf, and the chapter on th6 grey-leg goose by Mr. Stevenson, to each and all of the illustrations and chapters in Mr. Emerson's book. The latter has previously written much on the subject of the Norfolk Broads ; but with the exception of a chapter on the habits of the marsh-barriers, and another on the hooded-crow, we see nothing to justify the publication of these
obiter dicta on the birds of the district. The want of matter is not compensated by any grace of style, though Mr. Emerson
claims to give an "artistic biography of every bird, beast, and fish" of the district. The following remarks introduce the "artistic biography" of the mallard :—" A duck out of water is the embodiment of vulgarity, recalling a fat, big-boned, coarse woman; and the drake recalls a variegated specimen of the horsey fraternity, for he is loud, has a certain stop-and-look-at-me air, and cannot walk." The chapter on the swans of the Broads is unquotable. This is not a pleasant book.
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