1914] The Ottawa Naturalist. 139 



Halkett, ants' nests from Germany, specimens of Calosoma 

 sycophanta, and the Blind Worm, Angwis fragilis, also from 

 Europe. A. G. 



NOTE ON THE AMERICAN MAGPIE {Pica pica hudsonica) . 



This bird appears to be rare north of the 53rd degree of 

 latitude in central Alberta, and even 50 miles south of that line 

 it is not by any means common. I have never seen it north of 

 Camrose, nor does Mr. Spreadborough mention having seen it 

 in his travels north from Edmonton down the Athabasca or 

 McKenzie Rivers. On the west side of the mountains along the 

 coast it is found as far north as the Arctic Circle. During the 

 past twentv-two vears I have only seen it three times, as follows: 

 one near the Big Bend of the Red Deer River in December, 1894; 

 two near Wolf Creek, north of Lacombe, in October, 1912, and 

 one on September 28th, 1913, six miles west of Camrose, near 

 Bittern Lake. I have known of several colonies breeding on the 

 Knee Hill Creek, about 30 miles east of Olds, and I believe this 

 to be the northern limit for nesting. 



F. L. Farley, Camrose, Alta. 



The following books, which will be of interest to many 

 members of the club, have recently been placed on 

 the shelves of the carnegie public library. 



Earth Features and Their Meaning, by W. H. Hobbs. An in- 

 troduction to Geologv. (Ample treatment, of interest to 

 those who care to be able to read, in the landscape, the 

 history of the vicissitudes which the region under observa- 

 tion has undergone). 



Influences of Geographic Environment, by E. C. Semple. 

 (Amplified presentation of Ratzel's theories that geographic 

 conditions are the chief factor in the phvsical, intellectual 

 and social development of man." 



Climate Considered Especiallv in Relation to Man, by R. D. 

 Ward. 



The Wanderings of Animals, by Hans Gadow. (Sketch of the 

 distribution of the animals over the earth's surface. 

 Cambridge Manual Series). 



The Earth Its Shape, Size, Weight and Spin, by J. H. Poynting. 



The Non-Metallic Minerals, Their Occurrence and Uses, by G. P. 

 Merrill. (Important work on minerals of value other than 

 as ores of metals). 



Natural Philosophy, by W. Ostwald. (Brief survey of the 



