496 Recent Literature. [Oct. 



cholera by pigeons, that was noticed in the last issue of ' The Auk,' J has 

 now been published. 2 No further comment on the experiments is neces- 

 sary except to state that the conditions were exceedingly severe and that 

 the authors would have been justified in concluding that pigeons, and any 

 other birds of similar habits, probably never are concerned in the spread 

 of hog cholera. 



Other experiments reported on in the same publication (pp. 102-115) 

 are of interest in connection with the study of carrion feeders as distributors 

 of the disease. One of the findings is that " fresh collected secretions and 

 excreta [of the hogs] proved to be non-infectious when fed," with one 

 possible exception. This disposes of one theory to the effect that buzzards 

 may get the virus from hog droppings and distribute it. It was also shown 

 that the flesh of rats which were fed on the meat of cholera hogs for periods 

 up to three weeks was non-infectious when fed to susceptible animals. 

 These findings, if of general application, so narrow the possibilities of trans- 

 mission of hog cholera by carrion feeders, that there is no doubt a great 

 mistake has been made in pronouncing buzzards guilty and even condemn- 

 ing them by statute, in advance of thorough and careful investigation of 

 their relation to stock diseases. — W. L. M. 



Recent Publications on Economic Ornithology. — The Biological 

 Survey of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued its usual ' Direc- 

 tory of Officials and Organizations Concerned with the Protection of Birds 

 and Game,' 3 compiled this year by W. F. Bancroft, while another pamphlet 4 

 described under ' Notes and News ' deals with the Migratory Bird Treaty 

 and its Regulations. Bulletin 715 6 of the same Department, by W. L. 

 McAtee is entitled ' Attracting Birds to Public and Semipublic Reserva- 

 tions ' and should be in the hands of all park superintendents, as well as 

 those in charge of cemeteries, school grounds, etc. County road super- 

 visors too could learn a valuable lesson from its perusal. 



From ' Bird Notes and News ' we learn of the increase of insect pests in 

 England owing to the abnormally large areas under cultivation and the 

 decrease in the number of insectivorous birds during severe weather, a 

 condition which brings forth strenuous appeals for the better protection 

 of birds. On the other hand the War Agricultural Committees are advo- 

 cating the total destruction of the Rooks which are however, known to be 

 at certain seasons very beneficial, and much opposition to the order is 

 manifested. 



Mr. Oldys' ' Current Items of Interest ' 6 ' The Bluebird ' 7 and the 



> Vol. 35, No. 2. April 1918, pp. 253-4. 



2 Journ. As*r. Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, April 8, 1918, pp. 125-129. 



3 Issued August 19, 1918. 



4 Issued August 26, 1918. 



8 Issued August 12, 1918, price 5cts. 

 « No. 37, June 29, 1918. No. 38, July 1. 



i Published monthly in co-operation with the Cleveland Bird-Lovers Association, 1010 

 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. 



