^.22 Recent Literature. Voc^ 



by his corps of assistants. Full-length text-figures illustrate 22 of the 

 species treated. This opportune compilation cannot be too widely 

 distributed, as it carries convincing evidence of the great economic 

 importance of bird life to agriculture. 



Another important and instructive paper recently issued under the 

 same auspices is Dr. T. S. Palmer's ' Extermination of Noxious Animals 

 by Bounties.' * Reference is made to both mammals and.birds, and the 

 conclusion is reached that this method of attempting the extermination 

 of noxious animals is both expensive and futile. The objections to the 

 system are (i) that the expense is out of all proportion to the benefit 

 gained; {2) the impossibilit3' of maintaining bounties in all parts of an 

 animal's range; {3) the impossibility of maintaining equal rates in all 

 States ; and (4) the impossibility of preventing fraud, as the payment of 

 bounties on animals imported from outside areas, or especially raised for 

 the purpose, or for 'counterfeit scalps,' innocent species being palmed 

 off on the ignorant official for injurious ones. This is especially liable to 

 occur in the case of birds, and notably where bounties are offered for the 

 House Sparrow. The statistics here given show that during the last 

 twenty-five years not less than 3,000,000 of dollars have been expended 

 for bounties within the United States, with the result that not a single 

 species has thereby been exterminated, and, in most cases, with little 

 benefit. As the custom of offering bounties is, how^ever, apparently on 

 the increase, this timely exhibit of how- the scheme works ought to be of 

 advantage as regards the future. The matter of holding the really 

 noxious species in check by other methods is also intelligently discussed. 

 -J. A. A. 



Whitlock's Review of Herr Gatke's Views on the Migration of Birds.^ 

 — In this extended critique of Herr Gatke's ' Heligoland,' the writer dis- 

 claims " any feelings towards Herr Gatke but those of the warmest admir- 

 ation and respect." He says he " looked forward to the appearance of 

 Herr Gatke's long-expected work with the greatest interest. On its first 

 perusal, the novelty of the author's statements greatly impressed me, and 

 after careful study I found them verj' difficult of acceptance." He then 

 he says, formed the plan of writing a paper on it for one of the current 

 ornithological journals, but he soon found the subject too great to render 

 this practicable, and hence this separate form of publication. His "sole 

 aim has been to place the other side of the question " before his readers. 

 Of Herr Gatke's work he says : " The opinions he expresses, on the 



'Yearbook of the U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1896 (1S97), pp. 

 55-68. 



- The Migration of Birds | A Consideration of Herr Gjltke's Views | By | 

 F. B. Whitlock | Author of " Birds of Derbyshire," etc., etc. | (All rights 

 reserved) | London | R. H. Porter | 7, Princes Street, Cavendish Square, W. | 

 1897. — 8vo, pp. vi -\- 140. (Price, 3s. 6d. net.) 



