The Birds of the British Isles. By D. A. Bannerman and G. E. Lodge. (Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh, 1954). Vol. 3. 45s. THIS third volume completes the Passerines, covering the warblers, thrushes, chats, nightingales, Robin etc., wrens and swallows in the same generous manner as the earlier species. Dr. Bannerman has an unusual gift for re-examination of evidence and some interesting re-assessments emerge. The winter-quarters of Savi's Warbler, he considers, remain to be established; the Grasshopper Warbler winters S.E. from Europe, and not in N.W. Africa as The Handbook gives it; of the Aquatic he says we have no idea where this warbler passes the winter months; and he revises The Handbook's winter distribution of Marsh Warbler. His foreign breeding distribution is not always quite up to date, for example, Arctic Warbler (now breeds Sweden), Olivaceous Warbler (has reached N. Jugoslavia), Redflanked Bluetail (now in Finland in summer); but in other respects it is evident that the author has been at pains to incorporate new material right up to the time of going to press, and for detailed, up-to-date information on most aspects it is unlikely that this work will be equalled for a long time to come. In rejecting the Cambridge breeding record of Moustached Warbler, Dr. Bannerman agrees with Col. Meinertzhagen that the only certain way of distinguishing the bird from Sedge Warbler is by the first primary. If this is in fact the case, Dr. Bannerman's description of the Moustached Warbler seems somewhat misleading. The strongly sedentary
Volume: 
Issue 12
Authors: 
Hollom, P. A. D
Schaefer, J
Hollom, P. A. D
Schaefer, J
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