36o 



of birds in their wild state, so its contents are apt to be 

 a trifle disappointing^ to the aviculturist, inasmuch as 

 nothing is mentioned relating to the treatment of the 

 various species in captivity. On the other hand, the 

 lover of wild bird life is thoroughly catered for, and the 

 details respecting every bird mentioned are minute in 

 the extreme. 



The book is about a third larger than our own, 

 and the January number (which commences Vol. III.) 

 contains some forty pages of reading matter, beside 

 advertisements. The literar}' portion is well written, 

 and is illustrated with reproductions of photographs and 

 with coloured plates. Several of the latter are by the 

 three-colour process: some might have been omitted 

 with advantage, from a purely artistic point of view, 

 though they serve the purpose of giving the reader a 

 better idea of the bird portrayed, than the mere printed 

 description could do. There are others however (in the 

 December issue particularly) which are really very fine : 

 those representing " the Green-winged Teal," "Ruffed 

 Grouse on nest," and three or four illustrating the home 

 life of the Chickadee, being very natural. 



A long and interesting account is given of the 

 Louisiana or Crimson-headed Tanager. As its name 

 implies, the bird has a crimson head, and the neck, part 

 of the breast, and back, are of the same colour, which 

 gradually shades into yellow. There is a broad streak of 

 black across the back, and then the bright colouring is 

 continued to the tail, which is black, as are also the 

 'wings with the exception of ayellow shoulder and whitish 

 yellow^ wing coverts. " The nest is built on a pine tree, 

 " at the end of a slender bough, about twenty feet from 

 " the ground ; this position being chosen as a protection 

 " against the chipmunk, one of the two most dreaded 

 " enemies of nesting birds in the Sierras. The male does 

 " not share the task of incubation, but is otherwise a 

 " model of gallantry and devotion." 



The book also contains " Identification Charts," 



