V ,^ 3 X J Recent Literature. 35 I 



color he will correctly state what they did say. Yet his whole argument 

 on the temperature question hinges on this misstatement. 



Under 'Influence of acquired Characters,' his 'Table showing relation of 

 color and sex' has obviously no relevancy, at least in the generalized form 

 in which it is presented. Under 'Influence of Forest Areas' an attempt is 

 made to show "why the gray form is not fitted for those regions in which 

 the red is now so greatly in the majority," but the most we get is a state- 

 ment that there is a partial coincidence between the distribution of the 

 color phases of the Screech Owl with that respectively of the deciduous and 

 coniferous forests. The main point brought forward is that "coniferous 

 forests in the eastern part of the United States have a grayish cast," and 

 that "where the general aspect of the forest growth is gray, gray birds are 

 found." But that there is not a very close agreement between the distri- 

 bution of coniferous forests and gray birds even our author has to lament : 

 yet this it seems is fortunately but a slight misfortune for the theory, for if 

 the agreement is not close it ought to be, and possibly in time will be. In 

 fact, so crude and unphilosophical are the author's processes that it is 

 almost difficult to treat his struggle with the Screech Owl question seri- 

 ously. If he had limited his paper mainly to the presentation of his facts 

 on the distribution of the color phases, which are valuable so far as they 

 go, and had been content to plot them on the map by means of symbols, 

 thus showing just how much they were worth and nothing more, he would 

 have produced a creditable paper and saved lumbering up the literature of 

 ornithology with matter not only practically worthless, but, what is worse, 

 absolutely misleading to those who accept it for what it purports to 

 present; and particularly is this true of his ' Map II.' It is in fact its per- 

 nicious and misleading features, masked under headlines and embellished 

 with tables and maps of seemingly scientific character, coupled with the 

 fact of its appearance in a reputable scientific journal, that have called 

 down upon it so exlended a notice in the present connection. — J. A. A. 



Cook"s 'Birds of Michigan.' — Professor Cook has done good service to 

 the cause of ornithology through the publication of his 'Birds of Michi- 

 gan," prepared and published under the auspices of the Michigan State 

 Board of Agriculture. It is compiled partly from previously published 

 lists, partly from "the valuable manuscripts of the late Dr. H. A. Atkins," 

 and partly from his own observations and those of his students and num- 

 erous local observers throughout the State. It appears also that a rough 

 draft of the list was submitted to various prominent ornithologists for re- 

 vision and comment, with the result of giving by far the most complete 

 and trustworthy list of the birds of Michigan that has thus far appeared. 



The list was compiled to meet an urgent need of a carefully prepared 

 catalogue of the birds of the State which should not only give a list of the 



'Birds of Michigan. Illustrated. By A. J. Cook. Michigan Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, State Agricultural College, Zoological Department, Bulletin 94, April, 

 1893. — 8vo., pp. 148, with numerous cuts in the text. 



