Indian Bird Life: or the Struggle for Existence of Birds in India

Abstract

WE congratulate Mr. Dewar in having written the best of the very numerous books which he has brought out. In his introduction he rather frightens us when he hints that he is going to show us to what extent Darwin was right or the reverse in his theories. As we read, however, we find that this apparently is not his object, and that all he intends to do is to quote examples of how natural selection may be influenced by environment or, in some cases, how neither natural selection nor environment can, in his opinion, account for what happens. The author's quotations are well selected but his theories are quaint. There are but few scientific workers who will agree with Mr. Dewar's theory that much of what occurs in life is due to ‘ luck.’ On p. 260 he remarks, “the struggle for existence of birds results in the weeding out of the unlucky rather than the less fit.” We hope that when Mr. Dewar has again perused his own work and the excellent examples given therein of the survival of the fittest, he will feel in a position to change his mind. The book consists of a compilation of facts and statements recorded by others, but Mr. Dewar has done an excellent piece of work in bringing these same facts and statements together and in arranging them in so readable and interesting a form. The reader can draw his own conclusions from what is written, and, even if these conclusions do not agree with those of the author, he will be none the less indebted to him.

Indian Bird Life: or the Struggle for Existence of Birds in India.

By Douglas Dewar. Pp. xv + 276. (London: John Lane, The Bodley Head, Ltd., 1925.) 7s. 6d. net.