13<) The Wilson Bulletin.— No. 45. 



as breed in Ohio. Ttien follows, at greater or less length, a gen- 

 eral account of the habits of the species for the popular reader. 

 We bespeak for this book a wide field of usefulness. 



The Zoological Quarterly Bulletin, Pennsylvania Department of 

 Agriculture, Division of Zoology. Vol. 1, No. 1, Birds Around the 

 Farm; No. 2, The Economic Value of Our Native Birds. Edited 

 by H. A. Surface, M.S., Economic Zoologist. 



In the first number of this new quarterly, Professor Surface 

 gives descriptions and cuts of bird houses which may be erected 

 for the accommodation of various species of birds, points out their 

 economic value, notes their decrease and makes a plea for their 

 preservation, and discusses the value of bird study, giving methods. 

 In the second number an analytical key to the orders and families 

 of North American birds is given, followed by a discussion (to be 

 continued) of the larger groups. We understand that this Quar- 

 terly contemplates covering the whole field of Zoology ultimately, 

 but will probably confine itself to birds for the present. We be- 

 speak for it a useful mission in the field of popular education. 



Osteology of the Limicolse. By Dr. R. W. Shufeldt. Reprint from 

 the American Naturalist, Vol. 37, No. 442, pages 697-725. 



Osteology and Systematic Position of the Kingfishers (Halcyones). 



By Dr. R. W. Shufeldt. Reprint from Annals of the Carnegie 



Musem, Vol. 2, pp. 15-70, 1903. 



In these two papers Dr. Shufeldt gives us the results of a great 

 amount of painstaking study and comparison of skeletons, with the 

 object of more definitely showing the relationships of these two 

 groups of birds. They have never been quite satisfactorily dis- 

 posed of, different authors differing in their opinions as to their 

 proper position in the scheme of classification. In a tentative 

 scheme of classification Dr. Shufeldt places "the Charadriiformes 

 between the Lariformes and the group containing all the ralline 

 forms." The Dr. regards the present knowledge of the structure 

 of the kingfishers and their afl^nes as too meager for even a tenta 

 five classification. We trust that this comparative study of oste- 

 ology may go on until that phase of systematic work has been 

 completed, enabling us to use the skeletal features intelligently. 



L. J. 



Birds of a Maryland Farm. A Local Study of Economic Ornithology. 



By Sylvester D. Judd, Ph.D. U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Division of Biological Survey. Bulletin No. 17. 



In this extensive study of the 230 acre Bryan Farm, opposite 



Mount Vernon, on the Potomac river. Dr. Judd brings home to us 



the real value of local study of the birds. Any bird student who 



