Io8 Recent Literature. Y\ll. 



companionship. Wiiile Mrs. Miller and other well known writers have 

 made us familiar with the domestic trials and housekeeping methods of 

 many of our eastern birds, Miss Merriam here enters a new field, and tells 

 us in a charming Avay of the nest-building and brood-rearing ways of a 

 score or more of interesting types of western bird-life. The work is of 

 course non-technical, as it should be, being a popular contribution to 

 bird-lore, vet, abounds with interesting observations of permanent value. 

 -J. A. A.' 



' Papers presented to the Worlds Congress of Ornithology." ' — From 

 the ' Publisher's note,' we learn that the few weeks intervening between 

 the appointment of the Committee of the World's Congress of Orni 

 thologj (see Auk, X, 1893, 386) and the session of the Congress, did not 

 enable the Committee to do all it wished to secure the cooperation of 

 ornithologists living at a distance from Chicago, " but they had reason to 

 be much gratified at the measure of success attained, as witnessed by the 

 large and interested audiences which attended every session, and the many 

 papers which were read in person or by proxy." The Congress was held 

 Oct. 18-21, 1893, the sessions occupying four days. 



This Congress differed from other World's Congresses of Ornithology 

 that have been held in that it was not, and was not intended to be, to any 

 large extent a scientific congress; the subject of Ornithology being ap- 

 proached mainly from its economic, aesthetic, and humanitarian sides. 

 Indeed, the motto chosen to grace the titlepage — " Birds must and shall 

 be protected" — is the key-note to the volume. Of the 27 papers con- 

 tained in the work, not one can be considered as technical ; all are written 

 in a popular vein, and nearly all, from the ' Presidenfial Address,' by Dr. 

 Coues, to almost the last paper in the volume, approach the subject of 

 birds from the side of the humanitarian. Many of the papers are charm- 

 ingly written, and there is less repetition and less of the commonplace than 

 the nature of the subject would naturally lead one to expect. The papers 

 here gathered are well worthy of the permanency now secured for them, 

 and of their attractive typographical setting. Their perusal should tend 

 not only to stimulate interest in bird protection, but in the popular study 

 of birds for the pleasure it brings. The list of contributors includes a 

 number of well known ornithologists, as well as many popular writers of 

 distinction on ornithological subjects. The edition is limited to 600 

 numbered copies. — J. A. A. 



'Papers | presented to the | World's Congress | on | Ornithology | Edited by 

 I Mrs. E. Irene Rood | Chairman Woman's Committee of the Congress | 

 under the direction of | Dr. EUiott Coues | President of the Congress, Ex- 

 President of the American Ornithologist's Union. | — " Birds rtiust and shall be 

 protected." | — | Chicago | Charles H. Sergei Company | 1S96. — 8vo, pp. 208. 

 (Price, $5.00, net.) 



