The Wilson Bulletin — No. 47 61 



should then have Winter Birds, Birds of the Spring Migrations, Breed- 

 ing Birds, Birds of the Fall Migrations. At first these would run into 

 each other, but as the work grew and experience increased the different 

 groups would separate themselves out, and the records would be of 

 inestimable value in determining distribution. Monthly lists are not 

 only possible but entirely feasible and within the reach of all who work 

 in the field a little. Of course these monthly lists will not be complete, 

 not even for the best of us, and likely not even if we could spend all our 

 time in the field studying, for birds are not stationary structures and 

 man's ability is limited, but they will be not less interesting for that 

 reason. The check-book method of recording briefly field studies en- 

 sures annvial, seasonal and monthly lists, for the record is a daily record. 

 It is not complete, to be sure, but what is recorded is definite. It is 

 also the easiest sort of record to keep. It can be made to give records 

 of special localities if the observer wishes Thus the writer's check- 

 book records the birds found at the water-works reservoir, on the col- 

 lege campus, in his yard, at Oak Point, while giving the whole general 

 record, all in one column for each species for one day. Simply trans- 

 cribing gives each list, or only one, at one's pleasure. At best book- 

 keeping is irksome, but here the labor is small for the results obtained. 

 Furthermore, the records, when there are any, are definite even if 

 meagre. They may be made as full as one pleases. Our plea is for 

 more field study looking toward the exact determination of the birds of 

 your region. Work easily, but carefully. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



Bird Life Stories, Book One, by Clarence Moores Weed. 



The book contains twenty-four chapters, each chapter treating of 

 one familiar species. The author ha.s taken the text from the writings 

 of one of four of our most famous writers upon bird life, and therefore 

 the book is designed as a classical reader wholly devoted to birds. The 

 four writers— Alexander Wilson, John James Audubon, Thomas Nut- 

 tall, and Charles E. Bendire are sufficient guaranty of the matter 

 ■elected for these twenty-four familiar birds. The book is clearly 

 designed on the lines of The Nature Calendar series which the author 

 of this book has begun for the purpose of combining the usually unin- 

 teresting part of learning to read with a training of the senses to r«cog- 

 nize the pupil's natural surroundings. It is unfortunate that the 

 excellent quality of the text and general makeup of this admirable book 

 should he marred by the quality of the colored pictures. The three 

 color photograph process is responsible for not a little of the trouble, 

 the mechanical process of printing being evidently carelessly done, but 

 the taxidermy is not always satisfactory. We shall await the appear- 

 ance of the other two numbers of this series with interest. The series 

 is published by the Rand, McNally Company, Chicago. L. J. 



Wild Birds in City Parks. By Herbert Eugene Walter and Alice 

 Hall Walter, Third Edition. 



'The new features of this edition are the addition of forty-five bird 

 —the majority of which are shore and water birds — and a simple field 



