298 Recant Literature, LAprfl 



opossum and swine aiv just as apt to contaminate water as tin- buaaard 

 (pasturage also in the case of bogs), and the dog and chickens an far more 

 likely to carry infection by bodily contact with other domestic animals 

 than the bustard It seems evident therefore that at the same time that 



stops are being taken to greatly reduce or exterminate a wild bird the 

 busaard which may possibly play a minor part in the transmission of 

 anthrax, fanners are harboring several domestic animals thai have fat- 

 greater possibilities as spreaders of the disease. The faet that the disease 

 may be carried by tlies is more than sufficient to explain the most severe 



epidemics. 



However, the real fault lies with none of these animals, but with man 

 himself. Dr. Morris says "we believe that the neglect to properly dispose 

 of anthrax carcasses is. without doubt, the faet or most responsible for the 

 continuance and spread of anthrax." (p. 16.) bi accordance with the 

 most primitive ideas of sanitation, the cleaning up oi all kinds oi matter 

 likely to become the source oi disease, has too long been left to the bUsi ard, 

 opossum and the domestic scavengers in the South. It is inexcusable to 

 wage warfare upon a bird which cannot harm us unless we give it the 

 opportunity by our own criminal negligence. Let the farmers bury 

 deeply all animals tlying on their premises, doing this as promptly as 

 possible after death, and there will soon be no reason for laying blame for 



the transmission of stock-diseases upon any animal, wild or domes!-.. 

 \Y 1. M 



Cassinia. 1912. > - Under the new regime ' Cassinia ' remains the same 

 interesting yearbook of an ornithological club that evidently is very much 

 alive. We note that Mr. Stone, the former editor, is the principal con- 

 tributor, three articles being credited to him. One is a sympathetic 

 sketch of the life of General Qeorge A. McCall, who was one of the chief 

 aids to Cassin in the preparation of his book on the 'Birds of California 

 and Texas.' Mr. Stone presents also the customary summary of observa- 

 tions on the migration of birds in the vicinity of Philadelphia. A slightly 

 larger number of migrants arrived later than the average date of arrival 

 than earlier. Attention is called to the greater variation in this respeet 

 of the earlier migrants. Two striking features pointed out are the scarcity 

 of Bluebirds and the unusual abundance of Qoldfinches in April. 



Another article on migration, by Professor W. W. Cooke, contrasts the 



dates of arrival in ITiU as recorded by Or. benjamin S. barton with the 

 average dates for recent years. There is no signitieant variation m the 

 lists at opposite extremes of more than a eentenary period, barton's 

 publication contains the earliest record of the Swallow-tailed Kite for 

 Pennsylvania, one of the very few records of the Carolina Parakeet for that 

 state and the only one for New York. 



Mr. Julian K Totter contributes a 'Preliminary Report on boosting 

 Halits oi the Purple Graokle in the Delaware Valley.' He finds that no 



i Cassinia, a Bird Annual. Vol, XVI, Philadelphia. 1912, 72 np. 



