166 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 61. 



use. In illustration and typography there is little left to be desired. 

 The treatment of each species is full and clear. l. j. 



The Passenger I'igeon ' is treated in 225 pages, mainly historically, 

 but with an effort to determine if any yet remain in the country. 

 The book is largely one of reminiscences of persons who lived during 

 the great abundance of these birds, supplemented by historical rec- 

 ords of the marketing of them. In treating of the causes of extinc- 

 tion the author and contributors are of the opinion that killing for 

 market and the destruction attendant upon that enterprise is suffi- 

 cient to account for the disappearance of this game bird. As to the 

 present status of the Pigeon it is stated by no less an authority than 

 John Burroughs that there is still a small flight which pretty regu- 

 larly crosses the Caskills. The hope is expressed that this remnant 

 may presage a reappearance of the host. l. j. 



The Birds of Iowa - supplies a need which has been felt since the 

 abbreviated catalogue prepared by Keyes and Williams went out of 

 print only three or four years after its appearance. The present list 

 assumes the character of a compilation of published records, notes 

 solicited from and contributed by ornithologists of the state and 

 workers who have gone to other fields. We notice the omission of 

 some papers from the bibliographical list, but the obscurity of the 

 journals in which they occurred no doubt accounts for the omissions. 

 The Catalogue is concerned with making "some contributions to our 

 knowledge of their habits and economic relations, their migrations; 

 to trace their local distribution and comparative abundance at the 

 present time, and to determine, if possible, what changes the rapid 

 growth of settlement and civilization have wrought in' our avifauna 

 during the comparatively brief period since the settlement of our 

 state." Three hundred and fifty-four species and subspecies are 

 treated as authentic native birds, one imported, and twenty-five are 

 entered as hypothetical. We are glad to see this catalogue in print 

 and congratulate the author upon its neat appearance. l. j. 



Useful Birds and their Protection^ is a timely contribution to the 

 all too scanty literature relating to the subject of which it treats. 

 Although it is local in character and deals largely with local condi- 

 tions it cannot fail of being of general use. It is profusely illus- 



^ The] Passenger Pigeon, |by|W. B. Mershon,|New York:|The Outing 

 Publishing Company.] 1907. $.(X), net. 



^Proceedings I of I the Davenport Academy of Sciences,jThe Birds of 

 Iowa,|by Rudolph M. Anderson,] Davenport, Iowa, U. S. A.]Daven- 

 port Academy of Sciences. 1 1907. 



^Useful Birds]and their Protection, I containing! brief descriptions of 



