THE OSPREY. 



105 



Kalamazoo County (Mich ) One, that wanderer and 

 straggler, the Swallow-tailed Kite, and also the Barn 

 Owl. This gives us a list of 239 species in the 

 County, which is an increase of nine species to my 

 list of 1885." 



Mr. J. Birtwell of Dorchester, Mass., writes of a 

 partially albino 'English' Sparrow which has fre- 

 (^uented hi.s neighborhood for three years. This 

 calls to mind an albino English Sparrow the editor 

 saw almost daily during a month's stay at Stoughton, 

 Mass., several years ago. 



Mr. Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Mr. Abbott H. 

 Thayer, the two well-known artists are spending two 

 weeks in Florida — looking up and photographing 

 rnaterial to work out with the brush later. 



In an early March issue of 'The Chicago Record,' 

 a painfully accurate representation of the Blue Jay 

 figures in a large front-page cartoon as 'The First 

 Bluebird.' 



The 'General Notes' that were intended for this 

 number were omitted owing to lack of space. 



Recent Literature. 



Birds ok Vii.l.age and Field. A bird book for 

 beginners. By Flort-uie A. 'Men iaiii. Illustrated. 

 Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 

 iSg8. Cloth. S2.00. 



On picking up this book one at once is aware of a 

 very original little work. In it economic ornithology en- 

 ters largely : Miss Merriam is a favored person in this 

 field being a sister of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief 

 of the Division of Ornithology in the United States 

 Biological Survey, who has done so much in ascer- 

 taining the food of certain birds and their economic 

 value to agriculturists. From this feature, combined 

 with the interestingly written and ingeniously con- 

 trived book for beginners, it will be one that the 

 novice and the more advanced student will wish to 

 possess. First in the introduction the writer tells 

 the beginner something of how to find a bird's 

 name. Scientific classification has been disregarded 

 — "and the birds which the readers are most likely 

 to know and see are placed first, the rarer ones left 

 until later. For the benefit of those who have a 

 definite bird to name, a color key based on the 

 markings visible in the field has been made to all the 

 birds taken up ; this when, run down, will lead by 

 page reference to the description and picture of the 

 bird in the body of the book. If the family to 

 which the bird belongs is known, the species will be 

 found more quickly by turning to the key of the 

 family referred to in the index. If no definite bird 

 is to be looked up, and one goes into the field unem- 

 barrassed by knowledge, with the whole bird world 

 freshly opening for con(|uest, the matter of naming 

 the bii-ds and learning their ways is not a difficult 

 one. Four things only are necessary — a scrupulous 

 conscience, unlimited patience, a notebook and an 

 opera-glass. The note book enables one to put down 

 the points which the opera-glass has brought within 

 sight, and by means of which the bird may be found 

 in the key ; patience leads to trained ears and eyes, 

 and conscience prevents hasty conclusions and doubt- 

 ful records" She tells 'Where to find Birds,' 

 something of the science of 'How to watch Birds,' 

 and then follows a dozen pages on ' How Birds attect 

 Village Trees. Gardens, and Farms,' which will im- 

 press on the student the economic value of birds. 

 The introduction is concluded with some paragraphs 

 under the sub-heading 'How to keep Birds about 



our Homes. ' The main portion of the volume — a 

 short sketch and description of each of the species 

 taken up, — and the 'Field Color Key' which pre- 

 cedes it, are pregnant with text illustrations and 

 numerous page plates. An appendix treats on migra- 

 tion, field observation (giving points to assist in iden- 

 tification), and books of reference. In the appendix 

 is printed a copy of the observation blanks used to 

 record migration by the Biological Survey, and 

 sample reports are copied from those made by the 

 eminent ornithologists, Mr. William Palmer, Mr. 

 John H. Sage, and Mr. Otto Widmann Altogether, 

 Miss Merriam has given the new student of birds a 

 very nice little book, and one which the ornithologist 

 will lay down with the satisfaction of time well 

 spent. — W. A. J. 



Nests and Eggs of North American Birds. By 

 Oli'rer Davit-. The fifth edition. Revised, augmented, 

 and illustrated. Part Two, Ornithological and Oolog- 

 ical collecting. Columbus : The Landon Press, 

 1898. Cloth, S2.25. 



Mr. Davie pays The Osprey a pretty compliment 

 in sending us the first printed copy of the new edition 

 of his Nests and eggs of North American Birds.' 

 For a numbers of years past 'Nests and Eggs' has 

 been a popular book with oologists. Manv are the 

 working ornithologists who in their younger days 

 eagerly welcomed this book as the only available in- 

 expensive work to guide them in their studies of the 

 birds, their nests and eggs. In the present day of 

 innumerable bird books it still remains unique in its 

 field as a volume at a low price for the oologist. 

 This new edition, the fifth, has, as is stated on the 

 title page, been "revised, augmented and illustrated," 

 bringing the work up to date. The volume is about 

 the same size as the former edition, but is more com- 

 pactly printed, making a neat appearance The 

 illustrations are culled from various sources, and are 

 intended to give the beginner an idea of the charac- 

 teristic forms, etc , of the birds, together, often, with 

 their environments The author well appreciated 

 the wants of the young oologist and added in previous 

 editions chapters — in 'Part Two' — on ornithological 

 and oological collecting, giving briefly directions for 

 the collection and preparation of skins, nests and 

 eggs for the cabinet ; this department has been con- 

 siderably enlarged and well illustrated in the new 

 edition. Withal, this book has yet to delight many 

 oologists — new and old. — W. A. J. 



California Deiiartment. 



THE SOU IHERN DIVISION OF THE COOPER 

 ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



The Annual Meeting of the Southern Division of 

 the Cooper Ornithological Club was held at the resi- 

 dence of Mr. F. S. Daggett in Pasadena January 8. 

 .A 15 cent assessment was levied on members of the 

 Division to defray its pro rata of the cost of the new 

 constitution. The report of the Life History Com- 

 mittee was read by the Chairman, F. B. Jewett. It 

 was carefully prepared and summarized the work 

 thus far done by the Committee. The election of 

 officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows ; 

 President, .\. I. McCormick ; Vice-President, F. S. 

 Daggett : Secretary, Jos. Grinnell, and Treasurer, 

 Horace A. Gaylord. 



The annual report of the secretary reviewing the 

 previous year's work of this Division was read by H. 

 .\. Gaylord and filed. The meeting then repaired to 

 the dining room where an elaborate banquet was 

 served. Between the courses the papers of the even- 



