THE OSPREY. 



41 



A-Birdi)ig' on a Bronco. By Florence A. 

 Merriam. Illustrated. Boston and New York, 

 Houj,''htoii, Mifflin and Company. Cloth. 16 

 nio., pp. 226, S1.2o 



This book tells us of the short experiences of 

 the author, an eastern lady, with the birds 

 about Twin Oaks, California, (n<jt far from 

 San Deigo.) Some sixty species are touched on 

 with a scientific exactness which is pleasing 

 in a popular work on birds. 



Miss Merriam weaves her valuable observa- 

 tions in with interesting anecdotes and humor, 

 which acquaints the reader with cold facts, 

 with hardly a knowledge of their occurrance. 



With the exception of several articles, which 

 have appeared before in somewhat different 

 form, in The Auk. T/ic Odsfrz'er, and Our An- 

 imal Friends, all are published here for the 

 first time. 



One of the features of the book is the many 

 beautiful photographic illustrations; also the 

 numerous line-drawings by Louis Agassiz 

 Fuertes deserve much more than passing 

 notice, and our imagination is not taxed in 

 agreeing with name of species represented. 



W. A. J. 



An Annotated List of Birds Observed on Mar- 

 garita Island and at Guanta and Lagiiayra, t^ en- 

 ezuela. By Wirt Robinson. With Critical 

 Notes and Descriptions of N^it Species. By 

 Charles W. Richmond, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 Vol. XVIII, No. 1093, pp. 649-685, pi. XXXIII; 

 1896. 



This paper is based on material obtained by 

 Lt. Robinson in June and July, 1895, and em- 

 braces about two hundred skins. The Island 

 of Margarita, which is situated about seventeen 

 miles from the nearest point on the Venezulan 

 coast, had not before been visited by an orni- 

 thologist, and as a result no less than eleven 

 new forms were obtained out of a total of 

 seventj' three species noted. The new species, 

 which are named and characterized bj- Mr 

 Richmond, belong to the Genera Butorides. 

 Enpsychortyx, Leptotila. Scardafella, Speo- 

 tyto, Dendroplex, Ouiscalus, Hylophilus, Dole- 

 roniya, Amazilia, and Cardinalis, with an un- 

 identified Cormorant (Phalacrocorax) 



On the Venezuelan coast Lt Robinson found 

 the birds in poor plumage and tlierefore col- 

 lected but few. At Guanta he noted eighteen 

 species and at Laguayra about thirty-five. 



F. H K. 



Descriptions of Tivo Neiv Subspecies of the 

 Doivny Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens (Lin- 

 naeus). By Harry C Oberholser, Proc U. S. 

 Natural M'useum. Vol. XVIII, No. 1080, pp. 

 547-550, 1896. 



The common Downy Woodpecker is divided 

 by Mr. Oberholser into three races, of which 

 two are here characterized as new. The first, 

 to be known as D. pubescens meridionalis (Sw j. 

 is described as "Similar to D pubescens, hnt 

 smaller; the lower parts more brownish, the 

 white markings of wings and tail averagring of 

 less extent." Its range is the South Atlantic 

 and Gulf States from South Carolina to Texas. 

 The other is named D. pubescens nelsoni and is 

 " Similar to D. pubescens, but averaging larger; 



the under parts pure white instead of brownish; 

 the lower tail, coverts and outer tail feathers 

 averaging with much less of black marking.^; 

 red nuchal band of male averaging somewhat 

 wider." Its range is Alaska and Northern 

 British America. F. H. K. 



A Preliminary List of the Birds of Wayne 

 County, Ohio. 'S>y Harry C. Oberholser. Bulle- 

 tin of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion; Technical Series, — Vol 1, No 4. Wooster, 

 Ohio, July, 1896. 



The author makes no pretentions of a com- 

 plete list, and only a perfectly reliable record 

 of a species allows its inclusion: all but four 

 species having been identified by the author, 

 either in the field or from specimens in local 

 collections. The nomenclature, and the classi- 

 fication of the O. O. U. is used entire through- 

 out the catalogue. Many illustrations are used, 

 which are faniiliar in previous publications 

 The more or less text appended to each species 

 is largely original and of value. A list of 

 species quite likely to be found in tlie county is 

 al.so published. W. A. J. 



Contributions to the Natural History of the 

 Commander Islands. XI. The Cranium of 

 Polear's (\irmorant. By Frederic A. Lucas, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XVIII, pp. 717-720, 

 pi. XXXIV, XXXV, 1896- 



Mr. Lucas here describes and figures some 

 additional material belonging to this extinct 

 Cormorant. It was obtained by Dr. L- Stijne- 

 ger on Bering Island in 1895, and includes a 

 nearly perfect cranium and sternum. The ob- 

 vious differences in these bones between the 

 Polear's Cormorant and related forms is pointed 

 out. A table of measurement is also given. 



F. H. K. 



Catalogue of a Collection of Birds made by Doc- 

 tor W. L. Abbott, in Eastern Turkestan, the 

 Thian Shan Mountains, and Tagdumbash Pamir, 

 Central Asia, ivith Notes on Some of the Species. 

 By Charles W. Richmond. Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. Vol. XVIII. No 1083, op. 569-576. 



This is a catalogue, with important notes, on 

 a collection of 210 skins obtained by Dr. W L. 

 Abbott in the course of his travels through 

 Eastern Turkestan, the Thian-Shan Mountains 

 and in the Tagdumbash Pamir. It embraces 

 98 forms, of which number three are character- 

 ized as new. F. H. K. 



How Birds Affect the Farm and Garden. "A 

 series of facts determined by investigation of 

 the food habits of our common birds, showing 

 their character as insect destroyers and their 

 value as allies of the farmer and fruit grower." 

 By Florence A. Merriam. Reprinted from 

 Forest and Stream. New York, 16mo.. pp. 32. 



The Croze in Massachusetts. By E. H. For- 

 bush, Ornithologist to the Board. Bulletin of 

 Mass, Board of Agriculture, Series of 1896, No. 

 4. Aug.. 1896, pp 24-40. 



This article treats on the general habits of 

 the crow, but relates largely the food benefits 

 and economic value to the farmer. 



