2*7 6 Recent Literature. Ljuly 



Mr. Scott's 'Bird Studies'' is a quarto of 375 pages, illustrated with 

 about 170 half-tone reproductions of photographs, about one half of them 

 being full-page plates. As these are paged as part of the text, at least 

 one third of the book is thus made up of pictures. "The object of the 

 treatise," says the author, " is to place before students and others who 

 wish to acquire knowledge on the subject, a means to that end. It is an 

 invitation to a more intimate acquaintance with the Land Birds of East- 

 ern North America. That is all." The area included is "that portion of 

 the continent east of the Mississippi River, Lake Winnipeg, and the 

 western borders of Hudson's Bav, together with Greenland and the islands 

 Avhich naturally group themselves with the liiainland of the region." 

 Later a second volume, on the Water Birds, is promised, should the 

 present one meet with a favorable reception. 



Few ornithologists have had so favorable opportunities for studying 

 the birds of eastern North America in life as Mr. Scott, who for the last 

 thirty years has devoted a large part of his time to field work and during 

 his long periods of sojourn in various parts of the eastern States, in 

 southern Florida and in Arizona has been able to make the acquaintance 

 in life of most of the species here treated. The accuracy of his text, and 

 his evident familiarity with many birds of rare or local distribution, as 

 well as with those of common occurrence, indicate how Avell he has 

 improved his advantages and how little he is dependent on outside 

 sources for information. He tells what he has to say of the habits of his 

 birds very pleasantly, but adds, nevertheless, very little in this respect to 

 the general stock of knowledge, and rarely introduces personal incident. 

 This we may readily believe is due to lack of space, since not less than 

 650 forms must be treated in an actual text space of about 250 pages. 



The make up of the book presents several rather strange features for 

 a book intended as a guide to the birds of eastern North America, 

 inasmuch as there are no 'keys' for the determination of the species, 

 no generalities whatever, nor any classification beyond the division of 

 the subject under some half dozen headings of such an indeterminate 

 character as to be of very slight aid as a guide to where anv given bird 

 may be found described. These headings, — 'About the House,' 'Along 

 the Highwaj',' ' In the Woods,' 'Across the Fields,' 'In the Marsh and 

 Swamps,' 'By Stj-eam and Field,' — while prettily suggestive, can prove 

 of very little assistance to the beginner in finding his bird. If he knows 

 it already, he can find it by the index, and then read what Mr. Scott has 

 to say of it and enjoy his pictures. If he does not know it, the task of 



' Bird Studies | An Account of the Land Birds | of Eastern North America 

 1 By I William E. D. Scott | — | With illustrations from original photographs 

 I — I New York and London | G. P. Putman's Sons | The Knickerbocker 

 Press I 1898. — 4to, pp. xii+363. Profusely illustrated with half-tone repro- 

 ductions from photographs. $5. 00 net. 



