108 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 99 



I think the Pileated Woodpecker is the most solitary of all our 

 native birds. Although I have seen him frequently, all my life, 1 

 never saw two at the same time, though my brother once did, — but 

 that was undoubtedly at mating time. 



He certainly is a captain at hiding his nest, for though we were 

 certain he nested somewhere in that large tract of woods, we were 

 never able to find his nest. I have more than once found holes in 

 trees that looked as though they might be his nesting place, but 

 always in a place so inaccessible that I was never able to verify 

 my suspicions. 



The Pileated Woodpecker is said to be a vanishing bird, and 

 nearing final extinction. This belief I regard as only partly true. 

 While they are much less numerous in some sections of the country 

 than they formerly were, they are to be found as numerous in many 

 places that are to their liking, as they were in pioneer days. The 

 greatest enemy to this magnificent bird is the modern hunter with 

 the modern gun. We have laws and laws for the protection of the 

 wild things about us that are so vitally necessary to our own 

 existence; but against the ruthless and irresponsible hunter with 

 a modern weapon in his hands there is little protection, little hope 

 for those things he desires to kill. 



A. R. Phillips. 



Publications Reviewed 



The editor feels constrained to express his regret that he has not 

 been able to present reviews of literature which has been accumu- 

 lating upon his desk for a full half year without notice in these 

 pages. He will not make the annual pilgrimage to the Pacific Coast 

 this summer, because of service which the war has called for, and 

 therefore time for many things will be available during the sum- 

 mer. 



"A Year wiith the Bird." By Alice E. Ball. Illustrated by Robert 

 Bruce Horsfall. Prom the press of Gibbs & Van Vleck, Inc., New 

 York. Published by the -author, 1961 Ford Drive, Cleveland, 

 Ohio. 



Each of the 56 species treated in this book has a full-page plate 

 in colors by Horsfall accompanying the description, which is in 

 verse. The underlying thought of the author is that young chil- 

 dren will be more certainly attracted by rhyme than prose, and 

 will be likely to retain their early impressions thus gained. The 

 mechanical work is exceptionally good, and the type large and 

 clean Of especial value are the backgrounds in the illustrations, 



