^°i8^^1 Recent Literaiiire. 2 70 



Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America' is modeled on the same plan 

 as his 'How to know the Shore Birds,' noticed in a former number of 

 this journal (Vol. XIV, Oct., 1897, p. 41S). It is therefore sufficient to 

 say that by means of keys and a very liberal use of excellent cuts in the 

 text, the matter of identification is apparently so simplified that even the 

 most inexperienced bird student or sportsman can hardly fail to discover 

 the name of any bird of these groups he may chance to have in hand. 

 It is designed especially' for sportsnien and others interested in birds who 

 find difficulty in identifying birds by the ordinary ' bird books.' The cuts,, 

 executed with great faithfulness of detail, and generally with pleasing 

 artistic effect, can not fail to guide the reader with great ease to the 

 species sought. The text, aside from the elaborate keys, is confined to a 

 brief description of the external characters, with the distinctive features 

 emphasized by special type, and short statements of the birds' distribution 

 and nesting habits. — J. A. A. 



Chapman on Mexican Birds.' — One of the greatest difficulties in the 

 studv of Mexican Birds has been the lack of detailed reports on the avi- 

 fauna of definite regions by competent ornithologists w^ho have visited 

 the localities in person. Most of our knowledge of the birds of this 

 country heretofore has been obtained from collectors' specimens often so 

 meagerly or indefinitely labelled as to leave us in great doubt as to the dis- 

 tribution and consequent relationship of the various species. Mr. Chap- 

 man's paper is just such a contribution as we have needed and clears up 

 many puzzling questions relative to the birds of Jalapa — a locality long 

 known in ornithological literature but little understood faunally. The 

 importance of exact localities with specimens from this region can be 

 appreciated when we learn that owing to the steepness of the mountain 

 slopes, a few hours' ride by rail either Avay from Jalapa will bring us to 

 faunae as different as those of the northern and southern borders of the 

 United States. "Indeed," says Mr. Chapman, "it makes a material dif- 

 ference in the day's collecting whether you go south or north of the city." 

 It is no wonder then that our 'Jalapa' specimens seemed to indicate a 

 curious mixture of life when, as Mr. Chapman shows, they came from 

 distinct faunal zones, hei-e onl}' a few miles distant from one another. 



In the first part of his paper the author treats of the Jalapan birds, of 

 which 107 species are listed, accompanied by interesting annotations on 

 their distribution, habits and songs. The second part deals Avith the 

 birds of Las Vigas, in the humid alpine zone, nearly 4000 feet above the 

 temperate zone of Jalapa, though only forty miles away in a straight 

 line. Here 48 species were observed and interesting notes are added on 

 the nesting season, which Avas here found to be much earlier than at 

 Jalapa. — W. S. 



1 Notes on Birds Observed at Jalapa and Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico. 

 By Frank M. Chapman. Author's Edition, extracted from Bull. Amer. Mus. 

 Nat. Hist. Vol. X", p. 15-43, Feb. 24, 189S. 



