No.
4639 September 27, 1958 NATURE 825
'Ariadne's thread' by means of which the student fully understand them, have left us descriptions or
can be guided through the great mass of facts. illustrations which are still useful.
The book concludes with shorter sections, similar There is a section of excellent half-tone plates, but
in general plan, on Gymnospermae and Pteridophyta, the supply of line figures is not over-generous. For
and a survey of the main vegetation types of the example, there are references to the uses of pedipalpi
United States illustrated by excellent photographs and gnathobases where an uninformed reader might
and distribution maps. expect a drawing to make the text clearer.
Altogether this is a book admirable in conception None the less, this is a book of uncommon quality,
but only partially suited to the student at an English and a first-rate example of zoological writing adapted
university. There is the inevitable drawback that to the widening reading public of the mid-twentieth
the examples quoted are familiar in the United States century. Accurate without being abstruse, apprecia-
but only rarely so in Europe. A more fundamental tive without being sentimental, clear in interpretation
difficulty is, however, that a good deal of space is where interpretation is possible and as clearly con-
occupied by material which is of General Certificate scious of difficulties where they exist, it should be
standard and that the rest of the subject-matter is welcomed by many. Perhaps it heralds a new
too extensive for a general honours student but not movement in biology-a directing of popular atten-
carried to high enough levels, at least in the large and tion to the unspectacular orders, from which so
variable families, for the special honours student. much is to be learnt. In this venture Dr. Cloudsley-
Nevertheless there is no doubt that students of all Thompson must be congratulated ; and a word of
grades, as well as their teachers, will gain much from commendation is due to the publishers, who have
browsing through this work. T. G. TuTIN shown faith and courage in producing so challenging
a book. THEODORE SAVORY
THE LIVING INVERTEBRATE
Spiders, Scorpions, Centipedes and Mites OUR NATIVE MAMMALS
The Ecology and Natural History of Woodlice, Field Guide to British Deer
'Myriapods' and Arachnids. By Dr. J. L. Cloudsley- Compiled and edited by F. J. Taylor Page. (Field
Thompson. Pp. xiv+228+16 plates. (London and Guide to British Mammals, No. 1.) Pp. 80. (Birming-
New York: Pergamon Press, 1958.) 50s. net. ham : Mammal Society of the British Isles, c/o the
T HE author of this book is well known as a zoolo- University, 1957.) 10s. 6d. net.
gist who has a predilection for seeking his living The Natural History of the Otter
material in deserts and other uncomfortable places, By Marie N. Stephens. (A Report to the Otter
where the frequent changes of temperature, illumina- Committee.) Pp. 88 +4 plates. (London: Univer-
tion and humidity have pronounced effects on the sities Federation for Animal Welfare, 1957.) 10s. 6d.
lives of invertebrate animals, and he has supple-
mented this field-work with a long series oflaboratory
The Badger
investigations on humidity preferences, water-content By Ernest Neal. (Pelican Book No. A 410.) Pp.
control and rhythmic behaviour. These researches 176+30 plates. (Harmondsworth, Mddx.: Penguin
have directed his attention to those arthropods which Books, Ltd., 1958.) 3s. 6d.
are not insects and which are very well suited to his
purposes. The zoologist, the naturalist and the
general reader are far less familiar with these animals
TI!se
1
?2~~!E:ro~ ~r:~~e~~~~~~~:~!~j
interest now being taken in the natural history of our
-the woodlice, myriapods and arachnids-than with native mammals. The very formation of the Mammal
insects, and all will find a wealth of interesting matter Society of the British Isles a few years ago was
in this book. By his introductory chapter, in which evidence of that interest, and the publication of the
the first figure is a graph illustrating problems of first of its planned series of field guides, noted above,
desiccation, the author makes it plain that he does is a welcome addition to our literature on British
not intend to popularize or oversimplify his subject ; deer. It deals chiefly with the five species most
and this attitude, none too common in books about commonly found at large· in Great Britain, but con-
animals, is consistently maintained and gives the tains notes also on other species, such as the Chinese
book its outstanding characteristic. It is a feature waterdeer, which may be seen in very limited areas.
that will commend itself to many zoologists, both This "Field Guide to British Deer" is a model of
readers and writers, and will even be a pleasant clarity and compactness. In its mere eighty pages it
surprise to others. contains a wealth of observations, tables and sketches
The eleven chapters follow closely parallel lines. that one is unlikely to find in any other British book,
For each order or other grouping we are told of all carefully compiled and set out to help one to
classification and distribution, general behaviour, ascertain which deer are present in any particular
food and enemies, reproductive habits and life-cycle. region, and to identify them when seen. Distribution,
These topics are periodically lightened by the intro- habitat, gait, tracks, droppings, seasonal behaviour,
duction of less-technical paragraphs. The author is daily activities, voice, antlers, food and so on are all
always ready to remind us of myths or legends which dealt with in a way that makes this attractive little
have centred about these creatures and to share book in green and gold a pleasure to consult. One
with us the smiles that they have sometimes provoked. looks forward eagerly to its promised successors in
With all his exact knowledge of recent work-and I the same series.
have failed to find any topic of importance that has So far as naturalists are concerned, the chief
be.e n omitted-he gives credit to the observers of interest of "The Natural History of the Otter" will
past generations, who often hit upon facts or pheno- lie in Miss Stephens's intensive studies of this elusive
mena of significance and who, even if they did not animal in its natural haunts. The details she gives
© 1958 Nature Publishing Group
