32 2 Recent Literature. [^ 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Townsend's « The Birds of Essex County, Massachusetts.' 1 — This is 

 by far the most elaborate treatise on the birds of so limited a district that 

 has vet appeared in this country, it forming a neatly printed quarto vol- 

 ume of over three hundred and fifty pages. It is published as a memoir 

 of the Nuttall Ornithological Club of Cambridge, and its thoroughness 

 of research and literary execution does credit alike to the Club and the 

 author. The introductory matter, comprising some seventy pages, is 

 divided into nine chapters, following which is Chapter X, 'Annotated 

 List of the Birds of Essex County ' (pp. 74-321), a bibliography of ten 

 pages, and an excellent index. 



The introductory matter comprises nine chapters, as follows : (1) 'To- 

 pography and Faunal Areas' (pp. 6-11), which includes an account of 

 the geographical boundaries, the topography, especially in its relation to 

 glacial agencies, the principal botanical features, and the faunal affiliations 

 of the district; (2) 'The Ocean and its Birds' (pp. 12-17), which treats 

 informally of the manner and season of occurrence of the various species 

 of waterfowl that frequent the seacoast ; (3) ' The Sand Beaches and their 

 Birds' (pp. 18-29), i° which various other beach inhabitants, as fishes 

 mollusks, crustaceans, etc., come in for incidental mention, mainly as 

 furnishing food for the birds. The characteristic birds of a sandy sea- 

 beach are, primarily of course, the Limicola;, but Gulls and Terns, Ducks 

 and Herons, are found among those that leave their ' footprints on the 

 sands,' while many passerine birds also visit the beach for food. The 

 interest of the seabeach to the ornithologist, at all seasons, in winter 

 as well as in summer, is dwelt on at length, and the incidents of personal 

 observation here set down afford proof not only of this claim, but of the 

 author's familiarity with the varied forms of life of the beach under the 

 ever varying conditions due to the passing of the seasons. (4) ' The Sand 

 Dunes and their Birds ' (pp. 30-44). The sand dunes of the Ipswich and 

 other beaches of Essex County are well worthy of the special chapter 

 devoted to them ; the constantly changing forms of the dunes, due to 

 the action of the winds, and their peculiar vegetation, as well as the birds 

 that visit them, — in winter for food, in summer for nesting places, — con- 

 spire to give them special interest. It was here that the first specimens 

 of the Ipswich Sparrow were taken — by C. J. Maynard in 186S. (5) 'The 

 Salt Marshes and their Birds ' (pp. 36-42), and (6) ' The Fresh Marshes and 

 their Birds ' (pp. 43-4S), which furnish each their peculiar environment 



1 Memoirs of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. | No. III. | The Birds of 

 Essex County, | Massachusetts. | By Charles Wendell Townsend, M. D. | — | 

 With one plate and map. | — | Cambridge, Mass. | Published by the Club. | 

 April, 1905. — 4to, pp. 352, frontispiece and map. 



