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Bird -Lore 



" not less than 5,000 children," who signed 

 the club constitution, which opens by 

 stating that " the object of the club shall 

 be to use every means possible to increase 

 the number of our native wild birds by 

 providing them, when necessary, with 

 food, water, shelter and nesting places." 



The pamphlet gives other and equally 

 striking proofs of the enthusiasm with 

 which the children welcomed the oppor- 

 tunity of becoming familiar with birds, 

 and indeed is the most convincing proof 

 of the educational value of bird-study 

 which has come to our attention. — F. M. C. 



Book News 



With its August issue ' Our Animal 

 Friends,' the organ of the American So- 

 ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani- 

 mals, concludes its twenty-sixth volume. 

 This magazine is edited with a breadth of 

 view which must result in winning many 

 supporters for the cause it represents. In 

 its columns we find no senseless tirades 

 against the inhumanity of partly civilized 

 man, but sane, logical discussions of the 

 rights of animals and the manner in which 

 they may best be secured ; of the habits of 

 animals, including many interesting papers 

 on birds, — of animals and their value to 

 man, all of which are calculated to arouse 

 sympathy or interest in them and respect 

 for the journal which so ably champions 

 their welfare. 



'Wilson Bulletin,' No. 26, issued May 

 30, 1899, has an extremely interesting 

 paper by its editor, Lynds Jones, re- 

 cording the number of species observed 

 by him on May 8, in Lorain county, Ohio. 

 Work was begun about Oberlin at 3.30 

 a. m , and continued at 11 a. m. at Lorain 

 on the shore of Lake Erie, resulting, 

 finally, in a record of 112 species identi- 

 fied with the aid of an "Eight Power 

 Bausch & Lomb " field-glass during one 

 day. This number speaks volumes for the 

 observer's activity and the richness of his 

 field ; we doubt if it has ever been exceeded 

 in the same period of lime in North America. 

 Mr. C. Barlow publishes in the May- 

 June issue of the Bulletin of the Cooper 

 Ornithological Club, of which he is editor- 



in-chief, an eloquent appeal to ornitholo- 

 gists to take only such birds as they may 

 require for their own use, and not to col- 

 lect birds at all during the nesting season. 

 Particularly does he condemn collecting for 

 profit, saying with equal force and truth, 

 "Every naturalist owes it to science to 

 protect the natural beauties with which 

 the Creator has blessed the earth, and how 

 can the collector, with never a twinge of 

 conscience, quiet the sweet voices of the 

 woodland in a fashion little less than bar- 

 barous, for pecuniary gain." 



We congratulate Mr. Barlow on the 

 stand he has taken, and we congratulate 

 all bird-lovers ori the fact that his declara- 

 tion of principles adds another journal to 

 the list of those in which the egg-thief can- 

 not boast of his exploits. 



The Chautauqua Literary and Scien- 

 tific Circle, appreciating the significance 

 of the widespread and constantly increas- 

 ing interest in birds, has decided to intro- 

 duce a volume on ornithology into its 

 course of ' Required Reading, ' Miss Mer- 

 riams' 'Birds Through an Opera-glass,' 

 one of the first, as it is one of the best 

 text-books for beginners, having been 

 selected for this purpose. Implying, as 

 it does, the formation of a class of several 

 thousand bird students, this may be con- 

 sidered a step in educational ornithology 

 of unusual importance. 



' The American ' for August 26, comment- 

 ing on the 'Hints to Young Bird Students,' 

 published in Bird Lore for August, says : 

 ' ' This paper deserves the most serious con- 

 sideration from all. It is well meant, it is 

 timely, it is sensible ; the friendly advice it 

 tenders should be accepted and observed." 

 A WRITER on the slaughter of birds for 

 millinery purposes, in ' The New Illustrated 

 Magazine' for September, whose zeal for 

 the cause of bird protection exceeds his 

 knowledge of ornithology, makes, among 

 others, the remarkable statement that 

 " Florida is now the only country in 

 which Hummingbirds are found, except 

 as rarities " He also gives a unique bit 

 of information in regard to the Toucan, 

 which is said to use its "big beak" to 

 trim its "primary tail-feathers" ! 



