Book News and Reviews 



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of the currently recognized subspecies. 

 He concludes that all four are well founded, 

 but intergrade so completely that they 

 cannot be separated as species, notwith- 

 standing the differences in size and other 

 respects between the little Cackling Goose 

 of Alaska and the big Canada Goose of 

 the United States, which are so striking 

 that no one seeing only the extremes 

 would question their specific distinctness. 



The form breeding in California is 

 found to be identical with the Common 

 Canada Goose of the eastern states. The 

 least known of the four races, the White- 

 cheeked Goose, is a large, dark non- 

 migratory form, occupying the humid 

 northwest coast region. It does not 

 breed in northern California, as has been 

 supposed; nor even reach the state in 

 winter, so far as can be determined. 



Diagrams graphically illustrate the 

 variations in size and proportions; and 

 the diversity in the pattern of the head 

 and neck is shown by two plates of figures 

 representing twenty individuals. — W. 

 DeW. M. 



Bulletin of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture No. 

 58. Five Important Wild Duck Foods. 

 By W. L. McAtee. 



Owing to the interest manifested in a 

 previous circular of the Department of 

 Agriculture, giving information on cer- 

 tain plants of importance as food for 

 Wild Ducks, namely the wild rice, wild 

 celery, and pondweeds, the department 

 authorized Mr. McAtee to continue his 

 investigation of this subject. 



The present paper summarizes the 

 results of Mr. McAtee's work. Five 

 additional plants of great value as food 

 for wild-fowl were found to be the delta 

 duck potato and the wapato (species of 

 Sagittaria, or arrowhead), the nut grass 

 or chufa {Cy penis esculentus), the wild 

 millet {Echinochloa crus-galli), and the 

 banana water-lily {Nymphcea mexicana). 

 While at present most of these plants are 

 of only local importance, the author 

 believes that their field of usefulness can 

 be greatly extended. 



Maps illustrate the distribution of 

 each species, and the plants with their 

 tubers or bulbs — the principal edible por- 

 tion in most species — are figured. — W. 

 DeW. M. 



The Bodley Head Natural History. 

 By E. D. Cuming. With illustrations 

 by J. A. Shepherd. Vol. II, British 

 Birds. Passeres. lamo. 122 pages; 

 numerous illustrations. New York. 

 John Lane Company. Price 75 cents, 

 net; postage, 6 cents. 



The second volume of this attractive 

 little work contains accounts of the 

 British Warblers, the Dipper, the Nut- 

 hatch, and the Creepers. Mr. Shepherd's 

 quaint illustrations in color, one or more 

 on every page, "do not aim so much at 

 scientific accuracy as at giving a general 

 impression of the character, habits, and 

 appearance of the animal depicted. It is 

 believed that in this respect they will be 

 found certainly more artistic, and proba- 

 bly more suggestive than elaborate plates 

 or even photographs." — W. DeW. M. 



Die Vogel. Handbuch der Systema- 

 TiscHEN Ornithologie. By Anton 

 Reichenow. Zwei Bande. I. Band. 

 Large 8vo. 529 pages; numerous illus- 

 trations. Ferdinand Enke, Stuttgart, 



This is a handbook of ornithology for 

 the student, and a work of reference for 

 the general reader. Though written in 

 the German language, it treats of the 

 birds of the world, and hence demands 

 our notice. Volume I consists of 529 

 pages, the first 67 of which relate to the 

 subject in general, as internal and ex- 

 ternal structure, geographical distribution, 

 and classification. 



The systematic portion includes all the 

 "lower groups" down to and including the 

 Owls and Parrots. Determination of the 

 genera, and in many cases the species, is 

 facilitated by "Keys;" every genus being 

 diagnosed and at least a representative 

 series of the species treated. Descrip- 

 tions of habits, nests, and eggs are limited 

 to brief summaries under the headings of 

 the orders and families. — W. DeW. M. 



