7ol i9i3 LX ] Recent Literature. 127 



Strong on Teaching a Bird Course. 1 — Dr. Strong outlines his methods 

 of conducting bird classes at the University of Chicago and his suggestions 

 will prove valuable to teachers engaged in the same line of work. Labo- 

 ratory work consists of identifications from skins which, to avoid wear and 

 tear are wired onto handles upon which their measurements are marked. 

 Lantern slides are also shown to test ability in identification, the students 

 writing down the names of the birds as they appear on the screen. Field 

 work is conducted twice a week in the spring from 7.40 to 9.10 A. M., full 

 observations being recorded on each specie's observed. As Dr. Strong 

 remarks the main object of students selecting this course is to learn to iden- 

 tify the birds and consequently the course is adpated to this end. — W. S. 



Beal on the Food of our More Important Flycatchers.'- — The 



food habits of these birds are discussed at length by l'rof. Heal in the manner 

 made familiar to our readers in previous publications of the Biological Sur- 

 vey. 



Analyses of stomach contents of the 17 species of Flycatchers here 

 considered shows that 94.99 percent, of their food consists of insects and 

 spiders. Of this hymenoptera — bees, wasps, etc. constitute more than a 

 third and as these insects are for the most part beneficial, this element must 

 be weighed against the destruction of noxious species, which Prof. Heal 

 considers more than balances it. Curiously enough the destruction of 

 honey bees popularly charged against the Kingbird seems to have been 

 greatly exaggerated and the greatest harm done by the birds lies in the 

 destruction of small parasitic hymenoptera. 



Admirable plates by Fuertes, all but one in colors ; illustrate this valuable 

 bulletin.— W. S. 



Beal and McAtee on Food of Some Well-known Birds. i — The 



results of stomach examinations and field observations on twenty common 

 birds not included in Bulletin No. 54 are here set forth, two of the species 

 being treated by Mr. McAtee and the rest by Prof. Beal. In these publi- 

 cations the Department of Agriculture is spreading broadcast information 

 on the habits and value of our birds, the influence of which has had much 

 to do with the constantly increasing attention that is being given to bird 

 preservation in America. — W. S. 



1 Some Ideas on Teaching a Bird Course, By R. M. Strong. Nature study 

 Kc\ lew, Vol. 8, Nil 5, pp. l 7. 



* Food, of our More Important Flycatchers. By F. E. I-. Heal. Bulletin 44, 

 Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, pp. 1 67, plates J V. September 19, 

 I '.H 2 



J Pood (>r Some Well-known Birds of Forest, farm, and Garden. By F. E. L. 

 Beal and w. i,. McAtee Farmers' Bulletin, No. 506, u". S. Department of Agri- 

 culture, pp. I ;;.">. iik'>. I Hi September 25, 1912. 



