hives camel Recent Literature. 357 
Rhinebeck Birds and Seasons.'— The numerous ‘ Bird Clubs’ that 
are springing into existence all over the country find it necessary to issue 
some sort of annual report which is often enlarged, by the addition of 
special articles and illustrations, into quite a pretentious publication. With 
men of experience to guide them such as Mr. Baynes in the Meriden Club, 
and Mr. M.S. Crosby and Mr. Clinton G. Abbott in the Rhinebeck Club, 
these brochures may be made into valuable contributions to ornithological 
literature. 
The present publication is one of these and gives an excellent resumé of 
methods to attract birds; an account of the winter bird life of the vicinity 
of Rhinebeck, N. Y.; the spring and autumn migration and the nesting 
season, all of which abound in accurate dates drawn from Mr. Crosby’s 
large experience. As these clubs increase in their number of trained 
observers why cannot they conduct codperative studies of at least the 
spring migration in their vicinity? Such work under competent direction 
is much more valuable than that of scattered individuals, and the director, 
knowing the members of his corps personally, can form a better estimate of 
the accuracy of their work than a distant compiler, and censor the manu- 
scripts accordingly. The results can then be communicated to some 
center, national or state as the case may be, and the work of the central 
compiler greatly reduced. The methods of coéperative work adopted by 
the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club for the past sixteen years are well 
worth studying in this connection. 
Meanwhile we have only praise for the ‘ Report of the Rhinebeck Club’ 
which is not only valuable for its contents but is a neat and attractive piece 
of book-making.— W. 8S. 
Shufeldt on Fossil Birds from Florida.?— In a paper by Mr. E. H. 
Sellards on ‘ The Association of Human Remains and Extinct Vertebrates 
at Vero, Florida’ there are two pages on the fossil birds of the Vero deposit, 
contributed by Dr. Shufeldt in advance of his complete report. The 
following new names are here proposed, Querquedula floridana, Larus vero 
and Ardea sellardsi. The first two are nomina nuda as no descriptions 
accompany them, the last must however, rest upon the diagnosis here 
given. Nothing whatever is gained by quoting these new names in ad- 
vance as is here done, except to provide a stumbling block for all bibliog- 
raphers of the future. The rules of nomenclature are clear enough as to 
the fact that there is no such thing as a ‘ preliminary’ description. The 
1 Rhinebeck Birds and Seasons. Articles Published in the Rhinebeck Gazette October 
3rd, 1914, to September 25th, 1915. By Maunsell Schiefflin Crosby. Illustrated with 
Photographs by Members of the Rhinebeck Bird Club. To which is added the Second 
Annual Report of the Rhinebeck Bird Club. Published by the Rhinebeck Bird Club, 
Rhinebeck, N. Y. 1916. 
2 On the Association of Human Remains and Extinct Vertebrates at Vero, Florida, By 
E.H.Sellards. Reprinted from The Journal of Geology, Vol. XX V, No. 1, Jan.—Feb., 1917. 
Report on Fossil Birds from Vero Florida. By R. W.Shufeldt. pp. 18-19. 
