178 Recently published Ornithological Worhs. 



all over the worlds should be accompanied by short abstracts 

 of their contents written either in Latin or in one of the 

 familiar languages of Western Europe. 



5. Chapman on the Warblers of North America. 



[The Warblers of North America. By Frank M. Chapman, with the 

 Co-operation of other Ornithologists. New York : Appleton & Co., 1907.] 



The Wood- Warblers (Mniotiltidse) are one of the most 

 characteristic families of the Nearctic Region, extending in 

 a subdued form far into the Neotropical, but not met with, 

 except, possibly, as very rare stragglers, anywhere on 

 this side of the Atlantic. No group of North- American 

 Passeres exceeds the Wood-Warblers in their elegant forms 

 and brilliant colours. They consequently form a most 

 attractive subject for an illustrated Monograph, such as 

 Mr. Chapman gives us in the present volume. 



The work is commenced by well-written essays on the 

 general characters of the group, their distribution, migration, 

 songs, nesting-habits, and mortality, the mortality being 

 alleged to be " higher than that which prevails in any other 

 family of American Birds." Besides other unfortunate 

 circumstances, the Warblers are apparently much harassed 

 by the Cow-birds, which are especially prone to select them 

 as foster-parents. It is not unusual, we are told, to find 

 three Cow-bird^s eggs in one nest of a Warbler. Moreover, 

 the poor Warblers often have to bring up the Cow-birds 

 instead of their own legitimate children. 



In the systematic order and nomenclature of his chosen 

 group Mr. Chapman naturally follows Mr. Ridgway, and 

 divides the Mniotiltidse found north of Mexico into 16 genera 

 and 55 species. Nineteen subspecies are also recognised. 

 These are all taken in order^ and their distribution, haunts, 

 and nesting and other habits are fully described. The 

 curious subject of the intermediate forms between two 

 distinct species of Helminthophaga [H. chrysoptera and 

 H. pinus) is fully discussed. 



The volume is furnished Avith twenty-four coloured plates. 



