548 Recent Literature. Loct. 



all this knowledge with regard to this particular specimen, but in doing so 

 he has exercised, consciously or unconsciously, his powers of observation, 

 comparison and discrimination with regard to scores of other birds, so that 

 his experience has been broadened and his power and judgment very 

 materially strengthened." 



The main text of Prof. Barrows work follows the nomenclature of the 

 new A. O. U. Check-List. After the name comes a paragraph of popular 

 synonyms and such technical synonyms as are used in the standard works; 

 then follows a brief summary of the more striking characters by which the 

 species may be recognized; an outline of its general distribution; a dis- 

 cussion of its occurrence in Michigan, its habits, nesting, etc., often at con- 

 siderable length; and finally, a technical description. Much valuable 

 economic and historic matter is incorporated in the articles the object being 

 to select ' such information as would be useful and interesting.' Of Cook's 

 336 species 30 have been relegated to the hypothetical U.st while 20 others 

 have been added making a total of 326 positively identified within the Umits 

 of the state. 



Each family is preceded by a key for use with the specimen in hand, 

 while six appendices treat respectively of. Additions and Corrections, 

 Hypothetical List, Bibliography, Glossary, Outline of Classification of 

 North American Birds (families and orders), and List of Contributors. 



The value of the bibHography is materially lessened by the fact that 

 the titles of each author are printed continuously, in one paragraph with 

 title, reference date, etc., all in the same style of type which makes it ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to consult. The general typography and appearance 

 of the work are excellent and the half tones and line cuts which are drawn 

 from various sources, some of them original, are usually well printed. 



Prof. Barrows has evidently had the cordial support of all Michigan 

 ornithologists and bird lovers in his task and the result is one of which the 

 state and the author may well be proud. — W. S. 



Willett's Birds of the Pacific Slope of Southern California. ^ — 



In this recent publication of the Cooper Ornithological Club forming 

 number 7 of the Pacific Coast Avifauna series, Mr. Willett presents a care- 

 fully prepared annotated list of the birds of ' the Pacific slope of southern 

 California from, and including Santa Barbara County, to the Mexican line 

 and from the summit of the mountains to the ocean, also including all the 

 islands of the Santa Barbara group.' The work was originally intended as 

 a revision of Grinnell's ' Birds of the Pacific Slope of Los Angeles County' 

 published in 1898, but it was later thought better to extend its scope to 

 the above limits. 



The style and typography of the work are excellent and conform to other 

 numbers of the same series. In nomenclature the author follows the 



1 Pacific Coast Avifauna, Number 7. Birds of tlie Pacific Slope of Soutliern 

 California. By George Willett, Cooper Ornithological Club. Hollywood, Cali- 

 fornia. Published by the Club. July 25, 1912 — 8vo., pp. 1-122. 



