96 Recent Literature. \f^n 



issued in the annual report of the New Jersey State Museum for 1908, 

 of which it forms the chief part of a volume of nearly four hundred and fifty 

 pages. These reports are distributed free to "all of the New Jersey public 

 libraries, school libraries, colleges, museums, historical societies, the State 

 officials and those interested in natural history," and thus become avail- 

 able to a large number of the citizens of the State. The report for 1907 

 contained a similar handbook of the mammals of New Jersey, prepared 

 also by Mr. Stone, and the reptiles and fishes, and some other classes of 

 New Jersey animals, have been treated by other competent authorities. 



The introductory part of the work here under notice deals with the de- 

 struction and protection of birds, their distribution and migration in New 

 Jersey, and includes also a key for the identification of the higher groups. 

 The species are then treated in systematic sequence, under the names 

 adopted for them in the forthcoming new edition of the A. O. U. Check- 

 List, and the work concludes with a bibliography of New Jersey ornithol- 

 ogy, a glossary of technical terms, and an index (pp. 409-419). There are 

 also keys to the genera of Passerine birds, and keys to the species of all the 

 larger families. 



Concise descriptions are given of the species, including the plumage of 

 both adults and young, and of the nest and eggs, all in small type, followed 

 by a statement of the status of the species as a bird of New Jersey, with 

 dates of migration, character of its haunts, more or less biographical detail, 

 and reference to its economic relations, when required. In the case of rare 

 birds, or species of accidental occurrence, the records are cited, with the 

 authorities therefor given in footnotes. The work is thus thoroughly up 

 to date and authoritative, as would be expected from its authorship. The 

 introduction gives excellent advice in the matter of bird protection, to 

 aspirants for ornithological knowledge, and especially to the ambitious 

 young egg-collector. The 84 plates with which the work is illustrated are 

 half-tones, in small part base on specimens in the New Jersey State Mu- 

 seum, but largely (about one-half) from Wilson, and others from Audubon 

 and the leaflets of the National Association of Audubon Societies. About 

 one hundred species are illustrated, and the figures given should greatly 

 aid beginners in their bird studies. All in all the work ' should prove of 



1 The number of species! included as birds of New Jersey appears to be nowliere 

 stated, the numeration being that of the A. O. U. Clieck-I.ist, and is thus not con- 

 secutive. 



In this connection a few words may be added on the desirability of numbering the 

 species in faunal lists. To most persons the number of species given in a list is a 

 fact of some interest, and one a careful reviewer or bibliographer feels called upon to 

 slate as an indication of its scope and interest. If the species are numbered in se- 

 quence this item of information is available at a glance; if they are not they must be 

 counted, which, in the case of a long list, is a burdensome task. 



It also happens, as in the present case, that the species of a list or a faunal hand- 

 book are numbered, but only with the numbers of the A. O. U. Check-List, which, 

 being non-consecutive, seem to have no practical utility; in other cases consecutive 

 numbers are given in addition to the Check-List numbers, and are a source of con- 

 venience and information to many of the users of such lists or works. 



