(1) The Courtship of Animals (2) Hunting the Elephant in Africa and other Recollections of Thirteen Years' Wanderings (3) Gardens of the Great Mughals (4) Ce que j'ai vu chez les btes (5) Cassell's Natural History (6) Animals of the Past: An Account of Some of the Creatures of the Ancient World (7) Butterflies and Moths in Romance and Reality (8) Common British Moths

Abstract

(1)MR. PYCRAFT has written a very interesting comparative study of the lovemaking of a great range of animals selected from most of the main zoological groups. The explanation given by Darwin as to the origin of the secondary sexual characters is now, he answers, rather out of date, and Wallace's “arguments for sexual selection are far from convincing and often inconsistent.” The “theme” of the book is to show that a sharp line must be drawn between those attributes which are necessary to achieve individual survival and those to achieve the survival of the race-factors which, in the latter, are embraced under sexual selection. Much, Mr. Pycraft believes, hitherto attributed to the action of sexual selection alone—such as the behaviour of animals during sexual activity and the colours they display at this season—is largely governed by the action of “hormones” (the secretions of various ductless glands in the body). “Suggestion” is also necessary, but “suggestion does not suggest” till the hormones have rendered the system inflammable; “suggestion by display” of some kind, as an aphrodisiac, is a necessity, or “how else can desire be indicated? Here is sexual selection”. The limits of space assigned to us forbid our discussing this question which is very interesting, but perhaps less entirely novel than the author realises—beyond mildly “suggesting” that Mr. Pycraft's system seems so saturated by one or more hormones as to “exalt” his particular point of view somewhat at the expense of others. We heartily recommend the book, nevertheless. It contains eighty illustrations on art paper.

(1) The Courtship of Animals.

By W. P. Pycraft. Pp. xvi + 318 + 40 plates. (London: Hutchinson and Co., 1913.) Price 6s. net.

(2) Hunting the Elephant in Africa and other Recollections of Thirteen Years' Wanderings.

By Captain C. H. Stigand. With an Introduction by Colonel Theodore Roosevelt. Pp. xv + 379 + plates. (New York: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1913.) Price 10s. 6d. net.

(3) Gardens of the Great Mughals.

By C. M. Villiers Stuart. Pp. xviii + 290 + plates. (London: A. and C. Black, 1913.) Price 12s. 6d. net.

(4) Ce que j'ai vu chez les btes.

By Paul No.l. Preface de G. Colomb. Pp. 343. (Paris: Librairie Armand Cohn, 1913.) Price 3.50 francs.

(5) Cassell's Natural History.

By F. Martin Duncan. Pp. xx + 432 + plates. (London: Cassell and Co., Ltd., 1913.) Price 9s. net.

(6) Animals of the Past: An Account of Some of the Creatures of the Ancient World.

By F. A. Lucas. Pp. xx + 266 + plates. (New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1913.)

(7) Butterflies and Moths in Romance and Reality.

By W. F. Kirby. Pp. 178 + 28 plates. (London: S.P.C.K., 1913.) Price 5s. net.

(8) Common British Moths.

By A. M. Stewart. Pp. viii + 88 + 15 plates. (London: A. and C. Black, 1913.) Price 1s. 6d. net.