216 Recent Literature. \\^^\ 



saving from extinction grouse, ptarmigan and water fowl in certain sec- 

 tions, while the law against spring shooting is generally respected. 



The New Jersey Audubon Society has issued an attractive annual report, ^ 

 devoted especially to the Junior Audubon class work. — W. S. 



A Beginning of Philippine Economic Ornithology. — Mr. Richard 

 C. McGregor, Ornithologist of the Philippine Bureau of Science has imder- 

 taken the study of the economic value of birds in the Philippines, in which 

 work he has the support and cooperation of the Agricultural Congress. 

 A circular requesting information has been issued, accompanied by a 

 card upon which the data can be entered. There has been published also a 

 press bulletm ^ intended to arouse interest in the work. This publication 

 illustrates some common types of Philippine birds, and contains general 

 notes on the food of many species, and specific data on a few. 



It is to be hoped that good progress can be made on the elucidation of 

 the economic ornithology of the Philippines, and that the results in rational 

 protection of birds will be satisfactory. — W. L. M. 



CoUinge's ' Some Observations on the Rate of Digestion in Differ- 

 ent Groups of Wild Birds.' — Under this caption, Professor Walter E. 

 Collinge summarizes ^ the investigations of other workers, and presents 

 the results of his own studies on rate of digestion in the Rook, Starling, and 

 House Sparrow. The various findings agree very well that the contents 

 of the stomach are completely digested in about four hours. From this 

 it would seem that the human plan of three meals a day must be largely 

 prevalent among birds. The reviewer has presented evidence * that a 

 much larger number of meals may be taken when the food consists of partic- 

 ularly delicate insects. — W. L. M. 



Economic Ornithology in Recent Entomological Publications. — 



In "Some notes on the western twelve-spotted ... cucumber beetles,"* 

 Mr. R. A. Sell notes that "The only birds observed actually eating these 

 insects were the purple finch, the bush-tit, the linnet and the canon wren." 

 The Biological Survey records add to this list: the Pipit, Wren-tit, 

 Tule Wren, Red-shafted Flicker, Steller's Jay, Yellow Warbler, Western 

 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Traill's Flycatcher, Brewer's Blackbird, West- 

 ern Yellow-throat, Lutescent Warbler, Barn Swallow, Russet-backed 

 Thrush, Bullock's Oriole, California Shrike, Valley Quail, Gambel's Quail, 

 Cliff Swallow, California Towhee, Spurred Towhee, Black Phoebe, Vigor's 

 Wren, and Black-headed Grosbeak. Some of these birds feed extensively 



1 Fifth Annual Report of the New Jersey Audubon Society. Oct. 5, 1915. pp. 1-23. 



2 No. 32, rev. Bureau of Science, 14 pp., Dec. 29, 1915. Birds in Their Economic Rela- 

 tion to Man. 



3 Journ. Econ. Biol., Vol. X, No. 3, Sept., 1915, pp. 65-68. 



« Yearbook, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1912 (1913) pp. 402-403. 

 » Journ. of Economic Ent., Vol. 8, No. 6, Dec. 1915, p. 518. 



