418 Recent Literature. LJuly 



of treatment found in the two preceding sections. The orders treated in 

 their entirety are the Ardeiformes, Phocnicopteriformes and Anseriformes, 

 while the first few pages are taken up with the last of the text on the Chara- 

 driiformes. The account of the habits of the Steamer Duck {Tachyeres 

 cinereus), compiled from numerous sources, and the plate of three prog- 

 ressive stages of the downy young of the same peculiar species are of 

 particular interest. 



Owing to the death of both of the authors of the thii-d and preceding por- 

 tions of this report the preparation of the remaining installments has been 

 placed in the hands of Mr. Witmer Stone, who also read the proof-sheets 

 of the present section, although as presented it is entirely the work of the 

 deceased authors. — J. A. G. R. 



Kuser's Birds of Somerset Hills. ^ — In tMs dainty Httle volume Mr. 

 Kuser has presented the results of his studies of the birds of Somerset 

 County, northern New Jersey. The species are arranged according to their 

 haunts, and their habits and plumages briefly described, while there are 

 colored illustrations from paintings by Mr. C. A. Reed. There are special 

 chapters on The Increase and Decrease of Birds, My Best Day's Record — 

 64 species. Calendar of Bird Migration in Somerset Hills, Terms used to 

 denote the Abundance or Rarity of Birds, List of Birds Observed in the 

 Somerset Hills, and The Horrors of the Taking of Aigrettes. The book is 

 tastefully gotten up and beautifully printed and the subject matter cannot 

 fail to interest its readers in birds and their protection.— W. S. 



Murphy on Birds of Prospect Park, Brooklyn.^ — Mr. Murphy 

 contributes a nominal list of 147 species of birds observed in Prospect Park, 

 Brooklyn, by members of the ' Bird Lovers' Club of Brooklyn ' during the 

 past six years. Twelve of these have not been recorded from Central Park, 

 New York, while eighteen species seen by observers in the latter locality 

 have not been found in Prospect Park. 



^The list will be interesting to those engaged in observing birds in other 

 public parks and reservations in or about our large cities. — W. S. 



Bragg's Supplement to the Birds of South Carolina.' — This list 

 is intended as supplementary to Mr. Arthur T. Wayne's ' Birds of South 

 Carolina,' published by the Museum in 1910. It contains notes on ninety- 

 six species, giving additional records, exceptional dates of occurrence and 



1 The Birds of Somerset Hills. By John Dryden Kuser. Published by the 

 Author. 1912. 8vo., pp. 1-160, pU. 22 and a map. 



2 The Birds of Prospect Park, Brooklyn. By R. C. M(urphy). The Museum 

 News, published by the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 7, No. 8, 

 May, 1912. 



3 Birds of South Carolina. Supplement. By L. M. Bragg. Bull. Charleston 

 Museum. Vol. 8, Nos. 2-3, Feb. and March, 1912. 



