Book News and Reviews 



215 



fine photographs of the country are 

 shown. The seventh and final installment 

 of H. H. Kopman's 'List of the Birds of 

 Louisiana,' and» the fourth of A. H. 

 Wright's 'Early Records of the Wild 

 Turkey,' fill a number of pages. 



Among the shorter articles are 'Cabot's 

 Types of Yucatan Birds,' by O. Bangs; 

 'The Atlantic Range of Leach's Petrel,' 

 by R. C. Murphy; and 'Pkaethon calesbyi 

 Brandt,' by G. M. Mathews. 



Dr. W. M. Tyler, writing on the 'Simul- 

 taneous Action of Birds,' suggests an 

 explanation of why it is that all members 

 of a flock take wing practically at the 

 same moment, or show other "unanimity 

 of behavior." He considers the underlying 

 cause as psychical. Mr. A. A. Saunders 

 presents 'Some Suggestions for Better 

 Methods of Recording and Studying 

 Bird Songs.' His graphic method is 

 ingenious. 



Mr. J. C. Phillips discusses 'The Old 

 New England Bob-white,' and happily 

 concludes that such variation as may be 

 apparent is not worthy of recognition by 

 name. It is years since pure-blooded New 

 England birds have been obtainable, 

 owing to the importation of birds from 

 the West and South, which are supposed 

 to be considerably smaller and darker. 



Among the numerous reviews, atten- 

 tion may be called especially to a new 

 ten-year 'Index to the Auk.' — J. D., Jr. 



Book News 



In an 'Outlook' article on 'The Con- 

 servation of Wild Life,' Colonel Roose- 

 velt writes of the booklet on 'Alaskan 

 Bird-Life,' recently issued by the National 

 Association of Audubon Societies, as 

 follows: 



'It is a book of really exceptional merit; 

 no bird-lover in the United States or 

 Canada — not to speak of Alaska — can 

 afiford not to have it in his or her library. 

 It is all excellent; but best of all are the 

 portions contributed by Mr. E. W. Nelson. 

 Mr. Nelson is one of our best field 

 ornithologists, and also one of our best 

 closet scientific systematists; and to 



extraordinary powers of observation, and 

 intense love of the wilderness and of wild 

 creatures, he adds the ability to write 

 with singular power and charm. Nothing 

 better of its kind has ever been done than 

 his account in this little volume of the 

 bird life, at all seasons of the year, in the 

 Yukon Valley and on the islands and 

 along the seacoast." 



Mr. E. H. Forbush's Seventh Annual 

 report as Ornithologist of Massachusetts, 

 contains, like its predecessors, an encour- 

 aging account of work accomplished, and 

 many helpful suggestions in regard to ways 

 and means of protecting and attracting 

 birds and developing a community interest 

 in their welfare. It may be procured 

 through the Massachusetts State Board of 

 Agriculture, and should be read by every 

 one interested in civic ornithology. 



The Nebraska Blue Book for 1915 con- 

 tains (pp. 836-851) a briefly annotated 

 list, by Myrok H. Swenk, of the 418 

 species and subspecies of birds which have 

 been recorded from Nebraska. 



The Fish and Game Department of 

 Alabama, under the eflicient direction of 

 its Commissioner, John H. Wallace, Jr., 

 issues, as usual, an attractive and useful 

 'Bird Day Book.' It contains 96 pages 

 and several illustrations, and its distribu- 

 tion to most of the schools of the state 

 must exercise a wide influence in arousing 

 in the children of Alabama a realization 

 of the beauty and value of birds. 



The Florida Audubon Society has pre- 

 pared a leaflet entitled 'Shall We Outlaw 

 the Buzzard,' in which Katherine B. Tip- 

 pets and Oscar E. Baynard voice the 

 sentiment of the society in protesting 

 against the proposed destruction of the 

 Turkey Buzzard and Black Vulture for 

 their alleged dissemination of hog cholera. 

 These writers very properly claim that the 

 case against the birds is not proven, and 

 that they should be given a trial before 

 they are condemned, 



