Recently published Ornithological Works. 125 



chiefly in the collection of facts to show the relations of 

 certain birds and mammals to agriculture, horticulture, and 

 forestry, and in preparing for publication memoirs on the 

 English Sparrow and on Bird-Migration in the Mississippi 

 Valley. The special reports are: — (1) On the Food of 

 Hawks and Owls; (2) On Experiments on Poisons used for the 

 purpose of destroying Bird-life; (3) On some of the Results 

 of a Trip through Minnesota and Dacota ; and (4) On the 

 Depredations caused by Blackbirds aud Gophers in Iowa and 

 Minnesota, Of these No. 3 is by Mr. V. Bailey, all the rest 

 by Dr. A. K. Fisher. The accounts given of the examina- 

 tion of the stomachs of more than 1000 Hawks and Owls 

 shoAV some very interesting results. Taking them as a whole, 

 it will be seen that out of 983 specimens of stomachs of these 

 birds containing food, which were examined, no less than 

 528 (64*4 per cent.) contained the remains of mice only, and 

 241 of insects only. The value of the Accipitres and Striges 

 to mankind is thus pretty evident at a glance. 



The so-called ^' Blackbirds/^ of the depredations of which 

 the farmers of Dakota and Minnesota complain, appear to be 

 mostly Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus and Agelceus plio&- 

 niceus. Frankland's Gull [Lariis franklini) in Dakota is 

 stated to feed largely on grasshoppers. 



27. Report of the Coburg Society for the Protection of 

 Plants and Animals. 



[Erster Bericlit iiber die Thatigkeit des Thier- u. Pflanzenschutz-Vereins 

 fiir das Herzogthum Coburg. 8vo. Coburg: 1888.] 



We are pleased to see that the Coburghers have formed a 

 Union for the protection of their native plants and animals 

 and to receive a copy of their first Report. Among the ap- 

 pendices is a list of the native birds, prepared by Herr A. 

 Hoffman and Dr. E. Baldamus. 



28. Report of the Committee on Observing-Stations for 

 German Birds. 



[X. Jahresbericht (1885) des Aupschusses fiir Beobachtuugsstationen 

 der Vcigel Deutscblands. J. f. 0. 1887, p. 337. J 



The tenth Report of the Committee for carrying on the 



