2^ook ^ehjsi anb Iftebiehig 



British Kikds. Written and illuslraled 

 by A. Thorburn, F. Z. S., with eighty 

 plates in color, showing over four hun- 

 dred species. In four volumes. 4to. 

 Vol. Ill, plls. 41—60; Vol. IV, plls. 

 61 — 80. Longmans, Green & Co., Lon- 

 don and New Vork. 



The appearance of Volume IV marks 

 the completion of this superb work. A 

 noteworthy undertaking under any con- 

 ditions, its manufacture and publication 

 in England at this time is a tribute to 

 everyone who has been engaged in its pro- 

 duction. 



In these final volumes, the work of 

 artist, engraver, and typographer shows 

 no falling off from the high standard of 

 excellence established by ^'olumes I and 

 II. We have had no illustrations of birds 

 published in America which would com- 

 pare favorably with the plates in this 

 work. There have been state publications 

 where the question of expense was not of 

 primary importance and the best availa- 

 ble methods of color engraving were em- 

 ployed, but the results were far below 

 those attained in the volumes under con- 

 sideration. 



Rumor has it that a fully illustrated 

 book is to be published by a state in which 

 there is a greater per capita interest in 

 birds than in any other in the Union. We 

 trust that in selecting an engraver of the 

 drawings for this proposed work, the re- 

 productions in Mr. Thorburn's volumes 

 be exhibited as models to be followed as 

 closely as circumstances will permit. 



Volume III treats of the Herons, Ducks, 

 Geese and Swans, Pigeons, Gallinaceous 

 Birds, Rails and Coots. 



We suppose it is hopeless to expect 

 English writers to employ names for 

 American birds by which they are com- 

 monly known in this country, and con- 

 sequently need not be surprised to see our 

 Sora entered as 'Carolina Crake' (the bill, 

 by the way, in the figure of this species is 

 basally red instead of yellowish green). 



Volume IV contains the Bustards and 



For reviews of Vols. I and II, see Bird-Lore. 



Cranes, Shore-birds, Terns, Gulls, Auks, 

 Divers, Shearwaters, and Petrels. 



The total number of species figured in 

 the four volumes is somewhat over four 

 hundred. To give a plate to each species 

 would have involved a prohibitive ex- 

 pense. Only by placing a number of species 

 on the same plate was it possible to pro- 

 duce a work of this character at a reason- 

 able price. It must be taken for granted, 

 therefore, that the requirements of com- 

 mercial publication have imposed certain 

 restrictions on the artist for which he is 

 not responsible. The artist, therefore, 

 should not be criticized for an arrangement 

 beyond his control. Rather should we 

 accord him our praise for the skilful and 

 artistic manner in which he has met and 

 usually conquered difi&cult problems of 

 arrangement and grouping with a result 

 which rarely fails to produce a pleasing 

 whole, while the individual figures, with 

 but few exceptions, portray form, color 

 and character in a wholly accurate and 

 charming manner. — F. M. C. 



Conservation of Our Wild Birds. 

 Methods of Attracting and Increasing 

 the numbers of Useful Birds and the 

 Establishment of Sanctuaries. By 

 Bradford A. Scudder, Secretary, 

 Massachusetts Fish and Game Proc. 

 Assoc, 748 Tremont Bldg., Boston, 

 Mass., 1916. 71 pages; line cuts. 



This is a useful manual on those phases 

 of bird protection which so fortunately are 

 interesting a constantly increasing number 

 of bird-lovers throughout the country. 

 After giving a list of the birds which may 

 nest about our homes, Mr. Scudder tells 

 us what steps are necessary to induce them 

 to take up their abode near ours and de- 

 scribes in detail various types of nesting- 

 boxes, bird-baths, and feeding devices. 

 There is also a chapter on planting food- 

 bearing trees, shrubs, vines and plants 

 for land birds and also one on planting for 

 aquatic birds. Practical suggestions are 

 given for the establishment of bird sanc- 

 tuaries on which the author emphasizes 



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