338 



Recent Literature. I y^^. 



an observer would naturally seek there the name of some Red-headed 

 Woodpecker, Cedarbird, Redstart, or Fly-catching Warbler which had 

 attracted his or her attention. 



The untitled portion following the field-key takes up in systematic 

 order (following the sequence of the A. O. U. Check-List) the species 

 mentioned in the key, and describes, somewhat in detail, but very 

 interestingly, their salient characteristics of habits, voice, etc. Several 

 statements in this portion of the work may, however be fairly questioned 

 while others require correction. Of Grebes, it is said (p. 86) that they 

 "are quite helpless on land. They can not even stand erect on their 

 toes . . . but when resting, support themselves on the whole length of 

 the foot or tarsus." Grebes, however, are not only able to stand erect on 

 their toes, and frequently do so, but walk also in this position. Plovers 

 are characterized as differing from Snipe in possessing "three instead 

 of four toes"; a very erroneous diagnosis, since several genera of Plovers 

 possess a well-developed hallux while some Snipe have none ! Wood- 

 peckers are said (p. 136) to be " represented in all the wooded parts of 

 the world except Australia and Madagascar." They are quite wanting 

 also in New Guinea, New Zealand, and the whole of Polynesia, and a 

 recent high authority states that no species of the family is known to 

 have occurred in Egypt. Young Hummingbirds are likened to "a tangle 

 of tiny pink limbs and bodies" (p. 149). Are young Hummingbirds, 

 even when newly hatched, ever pink.' Those that I have seen were very 

 dark-colored — a sort of livid gray or slate-color. 



The particular points to which attention is called above are, of course, 

 comparatively trivial inaccuracies. Not so, however, the statement (on 

 page 2) that birds, like reptiles, have the heart three-chambered, since it 

 is well-known than in this respect birds agree with mammals (which have 

 a four-chambered heart) and not with reptiles. 



These criticisms of 'Bird-Life' are not made in any captious spirit, 

 but to show that the book, like practically' all others, is not wholly free 

 from faults. It may truthfully be said that 'Bird-Life ' is a book which 

 will prove mostusefvil to those requiring the kind of information which it 

 professes to give, and which no other book supplies in so concise and 

 entertaining a form. The illustrations are, in the main, excellent, and of 

 course add greatly to both the utility and attractiveness of the volume. 

 — R. R. 



Publications Received. — Barlow, C. The Story of the Farallones. 



Chapman, Frank M. Bird-Life, a Guide to the Study of our Common 

 Birds. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1S97. Large i2mo, pp. xii -|- 270, 

 with 75 full-page plates and numerous text drawings. $1.75. 



Cooke, W. W. The Birds of Colorado. (Bull. 37, State Agricultural 

 College, Fort Collins, Colorado.) 



Dixon, Charles. The Migration of Birds : an Attempt to reduce avine 

 season-flight to law. Amended Edition. London : Horace Cox. Svo, 

 pp. XX -+-426, with maps. 1S97. 



