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Recent Literature. \^\ 



departure on October 31. During this time the study of these birds was 

 the observer's chief object ; his record of their movements sometimes 

 began at 3 a. m. and continued until the birds had left the roost, and in 

 the evening he was again at his post to note their return. We have, 

 therefore, a detailed history of the lives of these birds during their 

 presence on their breeding grounds, by an ornithologist whose enthusiasm 

 permitted no relaxation in the care with which his observations were 

 made, and whose experience fitted him to direct his efforts most 

 effectively. His study shows that " during courtship and nesting, each 

 occupying about two weeks under normal conditions, none of the 

 Crackles flock together to pass the night, whatever they may have done 

 previously; but as soon as incubation has well begun the old males seek 

 the shelter of some convenient grove and pass the night there with 

 others of their kind. As soon as the most forward young are able to fly 

 they ai-e escorted to the common roost by the old male, or if the whole 

 brood should develop at the same time, by both parents; and where there 

 is any marked difference in the development of the young of the same 

 brood, the later ones, accompanied by the old female, bring up the rear 

 The young are fed for some days after they begin to roost with the old 

 ones. ... In general, the birds depart from the roost with the rising 

 sun, and return to it at sunset. Singing and calling begin with the break 

 of day, and continue until the birds depart for their feeding grounds. At 

 night there is comparatively little singing, and all noise and shifting 

 about cease as darkness falls. Early in the season the birds arrive and 

 depart independently of each other, but with the advancing summer 

 flocking increases, until finally all move as one individual." The paper 

 is to be commended for its clear presentation of an admirable piece of 

 field work. — F. M. C. 



Cory's Shore Birds of North America.' — This work is constructed on 

 the same lines as the author's ' How to know the Ducks, Geese and 

 Swans,' and his ' Key to the Water Birds of Florida,' published originally 

 in his 'Hunting and Fishing in Florida'(reviewed in this Journal, XHI, 

 1S96, pp. 246, 247). It is intended, the author says, "to meet the wants 

 of a large number of persons, especially sportsmen, who are interested 

 in birds and would like to know their names, but often find it no easy 

 task to identify them by the ' bird books.' To all such I offer this Key, 

 in which the species are arranged in groups according to size," etc. The 

 work consists of a few introductory pages, describing how to measure 

 birds, a glossary of technical terms, and an ' Index to the Key,' followed 



' How to know | the Shore Birds | (Limicolse) | of North America | (south 

 of Greenland and Alaska | all the species being grouped according to size and 

 color I — I By Charles B. Cory | . . . [ ^ 9 lines, titles and list of the author's 

 principal publications] ( — | For sale by | Little, Brown & Co. | Boston | 1897 

 — Small 4to, pp. 89, with numerous illustrations. 



