Important new work on Ornithology. BRITISH BIRDS, BY ONE WHO GOT THEM. Being the experiences of a Slacker in the prime of life during the Great War. Crown octavo, 6_s._ Profusely illustrated with cuts. CIVILIAN LIFE FROM WITHIN. The author, Mr. Jude Brown, has (for good reasons fully explained in the preface) remained a civilian during the past year. He is thus in a position to speak with authority upon a phase of life which most of his contemporary readers will either have forgotten or never known. Just as Service novels in the past used to appear full of the most absurd technical errors, so to-day many books that profess to deal with civilian life are disfigured by every kind of solecism. Mr. Brown, however, writes not as a gushing amateur but as one who knows. Order early. * * * * * [Illustration: _Nephew._ "I'M READING A VERY INTERESTING BOOK, AUNT, CALLED 'GERMANY AND THE NEXT WAR.'" _Aunt._ "WELL, MY DEAR, I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY HAD THEIR HANDS FULL ENOUGH WITH THE PRESENT ONE."] * * * * * In a Good Cause. _Mr. Punch_ begs to call the attention of his readers to a sale which will take place at CHRISTIE'S, on February 5th, of pictures by members of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours. The entire proceeds will be divided between the two allied societies, the Red Cross and the St. John Ambulance. The pictures are on exhibition at Messrs. CHRISTIE'S, who are bearing all expenses and charging no commission. * * * * * A Birthday Wish: Jan. 27th:-- A toast to the KAISER from wives and from mothers, "May he be as happy as he has made others." * * * * * "We have the further intelligence that 80 Turkish transports have been sunk by the Russians in the North Sea. This last piece of information lacks official confirmation." _Dublin Evening Mail._ This continued official scepticism about the Russians is very disheartening. * * * * * "Sandringham is fifty miles due east of Yarmouth."--_Liverpool Echo._ Rather a score off the KAISER, who didn't realise it was a submarine job. * * * * * "Our Correspondent at Washington reports that the Press of the Eastern United States is unanimous in excoriating the German Air Raid."--_The Times._ If only they would excoriate the Zeppelins themselves. * * * * * [Illustration: _Manager_ (_to dragon_). "WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS? WHERE'S YOUR HIND LEGS?" _Dragon._ "THEY'VE ENLISTED, SIR."] * * * * * ON THE SPY-TRAIL. I. JIMMY had been saving up his pocket-money and his mother had begun to get rather anxious; she thought he must be sickening for something.