136
has thus a broader scope than is indicated by its title.
The descriptions of the nests and eggs are of a rather general character. not always as definite and full as might be desired. The data of many of the eggs figured is also given.
The illustrations are the most important features of the work. every species is figured, natural size. and the ground color of the egg is indicated in brackets beneath it. Among the rarer eggs shown are those oi the Carolina Paroquet, Solitary Sandpiperand Great Auk.
in addition. there are eighty-five illustra» tinns (fifty of them full-page), reproduced from photographs of nests, most of them with eggs, others with parent or young. Many of these have appeared before in vari» ous publications and a considerable number are the work of the author. part, they are very satisfactory. Among the most ettective may be mentioned those of the Loggerhead Shrike Redstart, Woodcock, Grasshopper Sparrow, Ruby-throated Hum- mingbird, Long»eared Owl and Red-eyed Vireo,~a|l but the first two showing the old bird sitting on nest.
In the preface the author gives excellent advice to young bird-students condemning the indiscriminate collecting of eggs and advocating the study of the live bird and the use of the camera for photographing nests—Wt DEW. M.
The egg or almost
For the most
Bum Llrc SToitlss: Compiled from the writings of Audubon. Bendire. Nuttall and Wilson. by Cuuxcz Moons WEED. Book I. Rand. McNallysthm- pany. Chicago, New York, London. With the very worthy object of supplying
teachers with readable antl accurate biog-
raphies of our common birds, Professor
\Veetl has wisely gone to writers who loved
truth no less than birds. Twenty-four
species are included in the present volume, and each is illustrated by a coloritype or mounted birds.
The bibliopl e will doubtless not ap- prove of the mot ttication of the 'language and punctuation“ of the text of the authors quoted from without any indication what-
ci'cr of the changes made by the compiler.
Bird-Lore
and it is to be hoped that in the future vo — umes of this series, which are announced,
this ditficulty will have been overcome.
- F. M. C.
The Ornithological Mag-zines.
THE CONDDR ~The May—June number of 'The Condor‘ contains four general articles of more than usual interest. Under the title of ‘The Home Life of a Buccaneer,’ W. K. Fisher gives an interesting account of the habits of the Man-o’-War Bird on Laysan Island. describing the peculiar actions of the male and the inflation of his brilliant red gular sac during the mating season. The Man~o’-War Bird is almost incapable of walking on land but is pet~ fectly at home in the air, so much so that it even drinks while on the wing. Emerson's article on the Fatallone Islands gives the results of a visit to the wonderful bird rookery on the California coast in the suma met of i903, and compares the conditions with those which existed at the time of a previousvisit in t887. As might be expected. many changes were found to have taken place and some oi the colonies had disap— peared during the intervening sixteen years. We can scarcely have too many papers of this kind containing detailed studies of localities or breeding resorts of special in- terest, but what is especially needed are series of photographs of particular nesting colonies, or definite points, for comparison with similar views of the same spots in the future, Such photographs would bring out more clearly than any description pos- sibly can, the changes which occur after the lapse of a few years.
Mrs. Bailey describes the nesting habits of the Rock Wren in New Mexico, and calls attention to the number of stones found in the nests or arranged like walks in front. Several of the twelve nests examined in too; contained a large number of stones, and one had 260 stones, none less than half an inch in length. The question naturally suggests itself, " How general is the Sal inction one of stones, and what proportion of nests have the walks leading away from them?” Price contributes notes on birds found in
s_‘.
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