VOl 'l9of IH ] Recent Literature. 469 



the 'Manual,' and that his original contributions to this book are based 

 very largely on observations made in the immediate neighborhood of 

 Cambridge. Indeed the 'local coloring' of much of the matter is unmis- 

 takable. Such portions of it as clearly relate to his experience in the 

 Cambridge Region afford testimony of the utmost credibility and value, 

 but these, unfortunately, are too fragmentary and disconnected to give 

 us any very clear idea of what the bird life of Cambridge was in Nuttall's 

 time" .... (pp. 79-81). 



Mr. Brewster's criticisms of his method of borrowing from other authors 

 without rendering due credit are illustrated by examples; but it is rather 

 hard on Nuttall to hold him up for misdeeds that are only too common 

 in other authors of even much more recent date without allusion to the 

 fact that he is not the only sinner among writers of bird books. 



The character of the ' Annotated List of Species ' may best be stated in 

 the words of the author, who says in his preface: "What I have had 

 chiefly in mind has been to state as definitely as possible the times and 

 seasons when each species has been noted, the numbers in which it has 

 occurred, at long past as well as in very recent times, and the precise 

 character and, in some instances also, situation of its local haunts." Hence 

 "no attempt has been made to give full life histories of the birds," nor 

 anything about their habits and songs except in some cases where mention 

 of "these and kindred matters has seemed essential to a clearer under- 

 standing of the reasons governing the local occurrence or distribution of 

 certain species, or desirable for the purpose of rendering commonplace 

 or other tedious details more attractive." He says further: "I have 

 included \u cheir appropriate systematic order (1) birds which are known 

 to have inhabited or visited the Cambridge Region in former times, but 

 which no longer do so; (2) birds which have occurred very near but not 

 actually within its boundaries; (3) birds which have been introduced by 

 the direct agency of man; (4) birds which have been reported only on 

 what appears to be insufficient or inconclusive evidence." The species 

 mentioned that are considered as not "entitled to a present place in the 

 natural fauna of the Region" are indicated by the use of smaller type for 

 the text, which is also enclosed in brackets, and by omitting to number 

 them as a part of the list. The native species of unquestioned present 

 occurrences number 249; the additional species include 2 now extinct, 

 6 introduced by man's agency, and 19 considered as of doubtful record. 

 The nomenclature, both technical and vernacular, is that of the A.. O. U. 

 Check-List, except that in some cases local English names are added, and 

 in the case of the Arctic Horned Owl (pp. 203-205) where it is urged that 

 the name that should be adopted for this subspecies is subarcticus Hoy. 



In the preface (pp. 5, 6) is discussed the important question of what 

 should be taken as satisfactory evidence for the occurrence of birds at 

 localities where they do not properly belong. The author, very justly 

 we think, does not admit that observation of the living bird is sufficient, 

 and should not "be considered as establishing anything more than possi- 



