^°'i9o2'^] Recent Literature. 3II 



species (Cat. Bds. Br. Mus., XXII, pp. 387-390), or four forms in all, the 

 same number as is recognized in the A. O. U. Check-List, which has 

 four subspecies, he claims that Mr. Nelson in his description of his Mele- 

 (ts,'-r/s gallopavo merrtami, "avoided " comparing it with M. g. intermedia., 

 "with which," says Mr. Grant, "his birds are obviously synonymous." 

 We can assure Mr. Grant that, however that may have been, the two 

 forms have since been carefully compared by others, with the result that, 

 from the American point of view, they are considered separable (see 

 postea, p. 318). 



It would obviously be a waste of time to discuss the question of names, 

 as between gallopavo and mexicana., but we may add that we fail to lind 

 '■'■ Meleagris silvestris Vieillot " at the place cited, namely, "Nouv. Diet. 

 d'Hist. Nat. IX, p. 447 (1S17)," nor elsewhere in Meillot's writings, 

 although we do tind at just tliat point Meleagris. fera^ as well as in 

 the Gal. Ois. II, 1S25, p. 10, pi. 201. But we do find ".''Meleagris 

 sylvestris, Vieill.; Pr. Bonap. Am. Orn. pi. 9" in G. R. Gray's 'List of 

 the Specimens of Birds in the Collection of the British Museum, Part V, 

 Galling,' 1S67, p. 42. Turning to Bonaparte's ' American Ornithology,' 

 Vol. I, 1825, we find '■'■Meleagris Gallopavo'''' on plate 9, and '•'■Meleagris 

 .sylvestris, Vieill. Nouv. Did. d' Hist. Nat. IX, p. 447," in his extensive 

 list of citations on p. 79, which appears to be the origin of this reference 

 as given later in Jardine's edition of Wilson's Ornithology and elsewhere. 

 But we do not find the &'^&\\\x\^ silvestris as given by Mr. Grant. As both 

 Coues and Elliot {cf. Auk, XIV, p. 231, and Grant, Ibis, April, 1902, p. 

 -37) were misled by Mr. Grant's erroneous citation of Vieillot, perhaps 

 after referring as follows to Mr. Elliot's statement regarding the Vieillot 

 reference: "This inaccurate statement needs no further comment," he 

 will kindly tell these unenlightened American ornithologists just where 

 to find ^'■Meleagris silvcstris \'ieill.," and thus confer a favor. — J. A. A. 



Clark's ' Birds of Lakeside and Prairie. '^ — "The lakesides and prairies 

 of the Middle West are rich in bird life. The opera glass is a much more 

 satisfactory field companion than the shot gun." These extracts from the 

 author's preface indicate at once the scope and spirit of this recent 

 contribution to popular ornithology. The book consists of fourteen short 

 chapters, parts of which have previously appeared in print, the titles of 

 which suggest their character, as: 'Birds of a Smoky City'; 'The 

 Songsters of the Skokie [Swamp]'; 'In Southern Hoosier Hills'; 'In 

 Winter Fields' ; ' On the Trail of Pokagon,' etc. The author shows him- 

 self to be familiar with his subject, writes pleasantly, and has thus been 

 able to give to the public another very readable book about birds. The 

 colored illustrations are from the well-known magazine 'Birds,' or 'Birds 



1 Birds of Lakeside | and Prairie | By ( Edward B. Clark | With Sixteen 

 Illustrations in color | A. W. Mumford, Publisher | Chicago and New York. 

 Sm. 4to, pp. 150. 



