19^3 J !<"'' "' /'"'' ralurt , 603 



Collinge's The Food of Some British Wild Birds.' 1 - With the 

 subtitle " A st inly iii economic ornil oology " and the limiting word ' some ' 

 in the main caption, it would appear thai this little book deserved to escape 

 censure because it does not absolutely settle tin- economic statue of British 

 birds. Bui il has nevertheless been rather pointedly criticised* evidently 

 by someone with a bias in favor of uniform protection of all birds. A few 

 words of truth uttered by Professor Collinge aboul certain injurious i pecies, 

 apparently are :ill this critic was able to see in the Wool: and his prejudice 

 .ell thai these could uol be endured. This censorious reviewer states 

 " it cannot be said that his (Collinge's) hook greatly advance* knowledge 

 on this debated subjecl ." 



This Btatement, which serves chiefly to manifest the ignorance of this 

 reviewer, is not only untrue but slanderous. Professor Collinge's book 



report- on the original examination of more than 3,000 stomachs of British 



birds, and is therefore by far the largesl single contribution to its subject 

 thus far made. The facts that the author includes digests of the researches 

 of other works and gives a comprehensive bibliography an; also held up 

 against him by the afore-mentioned censor. The work has simply been 

 done in modern and excellent style, and these inclusions make it immensely 

 more valuable to all really interested in its subject matter. 



Professor Collinge's book includes besides 4 general introductory and 

 3 concluding chapters, detailed reports on the food of 29 species of birds, 

 besides chapters on " Birds as destroyers and distributers of weed seeds" 

 and " Birds in relation to forestry." 



The treatment by species includes an abstract of previously published 

 evidence, tabulation of contents of stomachs examined, field observations 

 by the writ it, notes on the food of nestlings (when studied), examination 

 of ficces (when made) and conclusions. The conclusion is preponderately 

 favorable to 18 species and more or less unfavorable to 11. Professor Col- 

 linge elaborates upon and reiterates his previously expressed opinion ae to 



the lack of beneficial influence in the case of seed-eating birds. He states 

 that birds on the whole are praiseworthy in their relations to forests. All 

 in all this is the besl handbook of the food of British Birds in existence and 

 should be in the hands of everyone who desires reliable information on 

 economic ornithology in this particular field. — W. L. M. 



Bigglestone on Nesting Behavior of the Yellow Warbler.' — This 

 paper i- based upon a continuous study of a nest of young Yellow Warblers 

 from the time of the hatching of the eggs, and irregular earlier observations, 

 the observer occupying a blind situated close to the nest. With the co- 

 operation of eleven assistants it was possible to record the actions of parents 



1 London 1913, 109 pp. 



Bird Notes and News, Vol. v. No. 6. June, 101.3, pp. '■>.', u\. 

 ■ Artudj of the Nesting Behavior of t h<- Yellow Warbler (Dendroica a . 

 i.) By Harry C milestone Wilson Bulletin, Vol XXV, No. 2, June. 

 1013, pp. 19 67 



