20 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



Vol. XXXVI. 



without loss of elevation must be sought else- 

 where. No satisfactory solution of the problem 

 has yet been made public. It will be sufficient 

 to point out here that one of the best authorities 

 on the subject, Dr. E. H. Hankin, in his recent 

 work on "Animal Flight" (Iliffe & Sons Ltd. 

 London, 1913[?]), states (p. 59) that "In other 

 words, in attempting to discover the source of the 

 energy of soaring, the movement of tangible 

 masses of air that we know as wind must be left 

 out of account." and presents an abundance of 

 carefully recorded observations in support of his 

 statement. Neither superficial observations nor 

 hasty conclusions will solve this important ques- 

 tion of soaring flight. 



Several minor errors which these two volumes 

 contain may well be corrected here, lest they persist 

 as truth. 



The most southerly breeding station of the Puffin 

 is given (p. 89) as Matinicus Rock, Maine, al- 

 though Macoun's breeding record (1909) for this 

 species at Seal Island, Yarmouth County, Nova 

 Scotia, is referred to on the same page. Seal 

 Island is farther south than Matinicus Rock, and 

 although it is possible that Puffins now no longer 

 breed there, no evidence to this effect is given in 

 this life history. The reviewer saw a pair of 

 Puffins at Seal Island in July, 1912, but Dr. C. W. 

 Townsend could find none there in the summer 

 of 1920. 



In the life history of the Horned Puffin, mention 

 is made (p. 98) of a breeding colony of the species 

 on Atka Island, Aleutian Islands, and it is stated 

 (p. 103) that the breeding range of the species ex- 

 tends "throughout the Aleutian Islands." On page 

 100 it is stated that "The southernmost colony of 

 Horned Puffins, so far as I know, is on Forrester 

 Island in southern Alaska." Forrester Island is 

 much farther north than Atka Island, and, in fact, is 

 farther north than a large part of the Aleutian chain. 



The most southern point in the breeding range 

 of the Herring Gull is stated (p. 102) to be No- 

 Man's-Land in Penobscot Bay, Maine, although a 

 foot-note adds that a few Herring Gulls have 

 recently bred near Marthas Vineyard. But in 

 any event, No-Man's-Land is not the most 

 southern breeding place of this Gull, for there is 

 a large well-known breeding place on Seal Island, 

 Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, which is farther 

 south than No-Man's-Land. 



Recent publications by Dr. C. W. Townsend do 

 not describe the Common Murre and the Razor- 

 billed Auk as being so nearly extirpated on the 

 southern coast of Labrador as Mr. Bent's remarks 

 on this subject would lead one to conclude. 



On page 8 ("Gulis and Terns") it is stated that 

 Mr. Frank C. Hennessey "accompanied the A. P. 

 Low expedition to the regions north of Hudson 

 Bay". This is incorrect. Mr. Hennessey's valuable 



experience in the Arctic was gained while he was 

 with the expedition on the Dominion Government 

 Steamer Arctic, under command of Capt. J. E. 

 Bernier, in 1908 and 1909. He did not accom- 

 pany the A. P. Low expedition. 



In the description, on page 330 of the second 

 volume, of Plate 16, showing Great Black-backed 

 Gulls, it is stated that the lower photograph 

 represents "adult and young bird, one year old". 

 This is evidently an error for "adult and bird of the 

 year", for Great Black-backed Gulls, one 

 year old, are not given to frequenting the nesting- 

 grounds of the species, and the individual in 

 question appears to be in the juvenal plumage. 



Although the life history of the Great Black- 

 backed Gull makes frequent mention of the breed- 

 ing colony at Lake George, Yarmouth County, 

 Nova Scotia, the breeding range of this species is 

 said (p. 85) to extend "southward ... to 

 . . . Nova Scotia (Pictou, Halifax, and Kent- 

 ville) and Bay of Fundy , (Isle au Haute)". 

 Lake George is considerably farther south than 

 any of the four other points named. 



In the description of the former breeding range 

 of the Laughing Gull no mention is made of the 

 fact that it extended to Canada. Dr. H. Bryant 

 collected two pairs on Green Island, near Yar- 

 mouth, Nova Scotia, in 1856. The condition of 

 the females showed that they had just finished 

 laying. (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., VI, p. 122.) 



The statement is made concerning Thayer's Gull 

 (p. 121) that only some 25 specimens of the species 

 are available for study. The Victoria Memorial 

 Museum, Ottawa, is fortunate in possessing- a fine 

 series of some 30 specimens of Thayer's Gull. 



Finally, a few remarks may be made concerning 

 the editing of these works. Publications of this 

 kind need make no pretense to artistic merit, 

 which may characterize the writings of none but 

 the gifted few, but sound English is justly to be 

 expected of them. The facts of science should be 

 correctly expressed. It is true that exact quotations 

 from other pubHcations must at times introduce 

 incorrect expressions, and that misprints cannot be 

 wholly avoided. These things are excusable. But 

 the original matter of the volumes under review 

 contains a large number of conspicuous solecisms 

 which cannot be defended. The over-heavy burden 

 of work which the production of these life histories 

 doubtless lays upon their author may confine his 

 attention to the ornithological facts involved, but it 

 is regrettable that there should not be more careful 

 editing of the text- of these important official 

 publications. 



Everything considered, these "Life Histories" are 

 most interesting, valuable, and important volumes, 

 which should be found in every library and should 

 be in the hands of every ornithological worker. It 

 is to be hoped that future volumes of the series will 

 appear with as little delay as possible. They will 

 be awaited eagerly. H. F. L. 



