242 Recent Literature. [.April 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



' The Auk ' Index, 1901-1910. 1 — The first ' Auk ' Index was published 

 in 1907, and covered the period 1876-1900, it including the ' Bulletin of the 

 Nuttall Ornithological Club,' virtually the first series of ' The Auk,' and 

 the first seventeen volumes of ' The Auk,' It set a high standard for index 

 makers, and, as said by a reviewer (Auk, XXV, 1908, p. 100), " We know 

 of no index to scientific literature comparable with this in point of detail 

 and utility." The new Index, covering the period 1901-1910, is prepared 

 on essentially the same plan, and in typography and make-up the pages of 

 the two works are nearly exact counterparts. The index matter covers a 

 much smaller number of pages (250 instead of 426) than were required in 

 the earlier volume, as it embraces only ten years instead of twenty-five, 

 but the amount per year averages twice greater. The introductory matter, 

 however, occupies 28 pages instead of 7. This includes an ' Introduction ' 

 of ten pages by the Chairman of the Index Committee, Dr. T. S. Palmer, 

 who is also the chief editor, giving an account of the plan of the work, the 

 composition of the Committee, and acknowledgements of aid. This is 

 followed by a ' Biographical Index,' and a ' Supplement to the Twenty-five 

 Year Index,' The latter relates to the names of authors mentioned in the 

 general index, completing names that were not given fully in the first 

 index, and adding the date of birth, and also of death of those not now 

 living. Of 175 names previously more or less defective 140 have been 

 completed, at great cost of labor in efforts to secure the missing infor- 

 mation. 



The ' Biographical Index,' by Dr. Palmer, is a new feature, and one of 

 high interest and importance as a record of the date and place of birth, 

 and also of death in case they are deceased, of some 275 ornithologists, 

 among which, as the author states, " will be found many of those most 

 prominent in the annals of ornithology in America and Europe, especially 

 during the last 40 years." In addition to these items, an asterisk prefixed 

 to a name indicates that a biographical notice of the person has appeared 

 in ' The Auk,' to which a reference is given. This list occupies 13 pages 

 in double column, and we have no doubt will be consulted more frequently 

 and valued more highly than any other part of the volume. The amount 

 of correspondence and research involved in its compilation can be appre- 

 ciated only by the few who have attempted similar work. 



i Ten Year Index | to | The Auk | Volumes XVIII-XXVII — 1901-1910 | Pre- 

 pared by a Committee of the | American Ornithologists' Union | Edited t by | 

 T. S. Palmer and W. W. Cooke | [vignette] New York | Published by the Ameri- 

 can Ornithologist's Union | 1915 — 8vo, pp. xxviii + 250. Price in paper covers, 

 $2; bound in cloth, $3. Orders should be addressed to Jonathan D wight, Jr., 

 Treasurer, 134 West 71st St., New York, N. Y. 



