Book News and Reviews 



51 



mended should be denied protection, and 

 of methods of attracting birds, concerning 

 which a bulletin will soon be issued. 



Under 'Biological Investigations,' it 

 is stated that work has been continued 

 on the mapping of the distribution of 

 birds and mammals, and on gathering data 

 in relation to bird migration, while 

 announcement is made of a plan for secur- 

 ing "a census of the birds breeding within 

 the United States." 



The importance of the Division of 

 Game Preservation is indicated by the 

 resume of its year's work under the 

 headings, 'Enforcement of the Federal 

 Migratory Bird Law,' 'National Bird 

 Reserves,' 'Importation of Birds and 

 Mammals,' 'Interstate Commerce in 

 Game,' etc. — F. M. C. 



The Ornithological Magazines 



The C()ND(jr. — The November num- 

 ber of 'The Condor,' ending with page 278, 

 completes Volume X\T, the largest in the 

 series. 



The three general articles are devoted to 

 the Snowy Heron in Utah, bird-life in the 

 Yakima Valley, and the Bronzed Cowbird 

 in Arizona. In 'A 45-year History of the 

 Snowy Heron in Utah,' by the Treganzas, 

 an account is given of the bird in the 

 marshes at the mouth of Bear River, 60 

 miles north of Salt Lake City. It seems 

 that a colony has existed here for nearly 

 half a century, but there has been a marked 

 increase in the number of Herons since 

 1904, probably due to the protection 

 which the birds have enjoyed. 



'The Effects of Irrigation on Bird-Life in 

 the Yakima Vallej', Washington,' are 

 discussed b}' C. H. Kennedy, who pub- 

 lishes a table of estimates (based on obser- 

 vations made between 1909 and 1914 on 

 an irrigated ranch) of the numbers of 14 

 species before and after irrigation. This 

 paper should be compared with Kenagy's 

 accounts of The 'Change in Fauna' on the 

 ISIinidoka Project in Idaho between 1907 

 and 1913, in 'the Condor' for May, 1914 

 (See 'Bird-Lore' XVI, p. 287). Kenagy 

 gives a table of 19 species, which have 



undergone marked change, and about half 

 of these species are mentioned in Ken- 

 nedy's table. As might be e.xpected, there 

 is a marked agreement in the decrease of 

 desert species, and an increase of such 

 birds as the Robin, Kingbird, and Coot in 

 the irrigated area. 



Gilman's article on the 'Breeding of the 

 Bronzed Cowbird in Arizona' is an inter- 

 esting review of repeated efforts to locate 

 the nests of other birds in which the Cow- 

 bird deposits its eggs. In 1910 Abert's 

 Towhee and Red-wing Blackbird nests 

 were examined without result. In 191 2 

 and 1913 the examination was extended 

 unsuccessfully in the vicinity of Sacaton 

 and Santan, to nests of Bullock's Oriole. 

 In 1914, acting on a suggestion from Prof. 

 W. W. Cooke, the nests of the Hooded 

 Oriole were examined, \^-ith gratifying 

 success. On June 28 a nest of a Hooded 

 Oriole was found with 2 eggs of theBronzed 

 and 4 eggs of the Dwarf Cowbird; on July 

 7, one nest was found with 4 Orioles' eggs 

 and one of the Bronzed Cowbird, and an- 

 other with 3 Orioles' eggs and one of the 

 Dwarf Cowbird; and on Juh^ 11, one with 

 2 Orioles' and 2 Bronzed Cowbirds' eggs. 

 The article is illustrated with photo- 

 graphs of the first- and last-mentioned 

 nests. 



An Editorial note states that the Cali- 

 fornian non-sale-of-game law, on which the 

 referendum was invoked, was defeated at 

 the election in November [by 8,151 votes] 

 in spite of all efforts put forth in its behalf. 

 — T. S. P. 



The Auk. — The January issue comes to 

 us with a new cover design drawn by Mr. 

 L. A. Fuertes. A Great Auk sitting in 

 solitary dignity upon a rocky shore is a 

 great improvement upon the flock pre- 

 viously occupying the cover, and so ob- 

 viously snuffing the tainted gale. 



The anatomy of another extinct bird 

 is enlarged upon by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, 

 who has been privileged to dissect the 

 body of the last Passenger Pigeon — one 

 that died in the Cincinnati Zoo on Sep- 

 tember I, 1914, at the age of 29 years. 

 Several photographs accompany this arti- 



