V0 'iS VI ] Recent Literature. 97 



On January 11, 1908, the number of birds existing on the island "was 

 not less than 55 nor more than 60." While it appears to be most at home 

 in the scrub oak and pitch pine barrens, it is believed that it could be 

 naturalized once more in almost any section of the State. Fortunately 

 it has the protection "of the best public opinion in the island," and with 

 the thorough precautions for its preservation and increase adopted by 

 the game commissioners of Massachusetts, under a special act of the legis- 

 lature providing for it a reservation of 1,000 acres of unimproved lands 

 on Martha's Vineyard, its future increase seems assured. The Report 

 closes with a list of subscribers to a fund for the purchase of land for a 

 reservation and for guarding such reservation from forest fires, the total 

 sum here reported amounting to $2,420. Aside from the economic and 

 practical bearing of the report, it is a valuable contribution to the life 

 history of this interesting species. — J. A. A. 



Woodruff on Causes of the Scarcity of the Ruffed Grouse. 1 — The marked 

 scarcity of the Ruffed Grouse in the northeastern States in 1907 has been 

 attributed to various causes; from Dr. Woodruff's investigations it seems 

 to have been due to a combination of a number of untoward conditions. 

 These are primarily " (1) The unusual abundance of foxes, and, particu- 

 larly, goshawks during the winter of 1906-1907. (2) The extremely 

 cold, wet, and late spring of 1907. (3) An epidemic of some disease or 

 parasite, or both, just which we cannot now determine." He considers 

 the cold, wet, late spring to have been unquestionably the most serious, 

 and that to this was indirectly due the destruction of most of the adult 

 females and young, through the impairment of their vitality so that they 

 readily succumbed to disease or the attacks of parasites. — J. A. A. 



Forbush on the Economic Value of Birds to Agriculture. — For a number 

 of years the writings of Mr. Forbush have been among the most important 

 contributions to the subject of economic ornithology. They have con- 

 sisted mainly of reports prepared by him as ornithologist to the Massachu- 

 setts State Board of Agriculture, and published by the State. Of several 

 of these 2 a second edition, revised to June, 1908, has recently been issued, 

 showing that their importance is duly recognized by the Massachusetts 

 State Board of Agriculture. As they were duly noticed in these pages 

 when first published, a further account of them in the present connection 

 is unnecessary, although some new matter is added and other changes 

 introduced in these revised editions. — J. A. A. 



1 The Ruffed Grouse. A Study of the Causes of its Scarcity in 1907. By E. 

 Seymour Woodruff. Pp. 22. (A repaged reprint from the Thirteenth Annual Re- 

 port of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission of the State of New York.) 



2 (1) Two Years with the Birds on a Farm. By Edward Howe Forbush. Second 

 edition, 1908, pp. 44, with 8 illustrations. (2) Birds as Protectors of Orchards, 

 Third edition, June 1908, pp. 19. (3) Special Report of the Decrease of Certain 

 Birds, and its Causes with Suggestions for Bird Protection. Second edition, June, 

 1908, pp. 118. 



