I02 



Bird - Lore 



and scientific. One of the most noteworthy 

 is by W. H. Fisher, on ' Preserving Equi- 

 librium by the Use of One Wing.' An 

 accompanying half - tone shows a House 

 Finch balancing on a window-sill, and, 

 although independent action of each wing 

 in flight has long been more than suspected, 

 it has remained for the camera, quicker far 

 than the human eye, to record the actual use 

 of one wing. Among the longer articles are 

 two annotated lists, one by M. L. Ray, on 

 the land birds of Lake Valley, California, 

 the other by R. E. Snodgrass, on those of 

 Central Washington ; while J. L. Bonhote 

 writes on ' Bird Migration at some of 

 the Bahama Light-houses.' It may be 

 said, in passing, that such photographs of 

 scenery as accompany Mr. Ray's list are 

 much to be commended. They are, in a 

 way, far more instructive than merely views 

 of nests or eggs taken at such short range 

 that no idea of the surrounding country can 

 be gained. 



John N. Clark, recently deceased, takes 

 up 'The Domestic Affairs of Bob-white,' 

 and in his pleasant style tells us of a male 

 bird that assumed ail the responsibilities of 

 incubation and subsequent ' nursery duties,' 

 whilst his mate, apparently, was leading 

 about an earlier brood. The food, rather 

 than the ' Food Habits of some West In- 

 dian Birds,' is discussed by B. T. Bow- 

 dish ; H. W. Henshaw writes on the 

 ' Occurrence of the Emperor Goose in 

 Hawaii,' and the systematist may feast 

 upon ' A Review of the Genus Catherpes,' 

 by H. C. Oberholser. In the department 

 of General Notes we are glad to learn that 

 the supposed bill of a Tern found in an 

 ancient shell-heap proved to be a spine of 

 the dogfish, and commend Dr. Townsend 

 for his conservatism. Prospective contrib- 

 utors to the pages of the ' Auk ' will do 

 well to read on p. 234 ' Some Suggestions,' 

 lest they feel aggrieved if their MSS. are 

 returned to them. — J. D., Jr. 



Wilson Bulletin. — No. 42 of ' Wilson 

 Bulletin ' is the initial number of Volume 

 X, and contains much of interest. The 

 progressive advancement of the Bulletin 

 shows that the management is wide awake 



and ready to make any change in detail 

 that may improve its appearance or add to 

 the value of the contents. The editor 

 states that the chapter, by unanimous con- 

 sent, will be reorganized under the name 

 of the Wilson Ornithological Club. As 

 heretofore, it will remain a corresponding 

 organization, but may at any time hold 

 annual meetings when such a course seems 

 feasible. The principal function of the 

 Club will continue to be the study of the 

 life-histories of birds, but members have 

 very wisely decided to use specimens when- 

 ever such a course would add to the value 

 of their investigations. They expect to 

 exert all their influence toward a sane 

 policy of protection everywhere and at all 

 times. This expression of policy is com- ~ 

 mendable, as it tends to show that the 

 Club is composed of material that vvill not 

 tolerate the prostitution of ornithological 

 science by maudlin sentimentality. 



The following are the titles of the leading 

 papers: ' Notes on the Leucostictes,' P. M. 

 Silloway; 'The Best Place of All,' 

 Rebecca M. Leete (this article describes 

 a favorite resort for bird observations near 

 her home) ; ' The Motacillidae of Germany,' 

 W. F. Henninger; 'The Yellow-throated 

 Vireo,' J. Warren Jacobs; 'Notes on the 

 Winter Birds of Wayne county, Mich.,' 

 B . H . Swales ; ' A Few Additional Notes on 

 the Flicker, ' F. L. Burns ; ' The New Year's 

 Day Bird Census,' Lynds Jones. Alex. W. 

 Blain, Jr., desires information of any sort 

 concerning the Great Blue Heron, and 

 Lynds Jones wants the same character of 

 material on the Mourning Dove. This 

 data is to be used in the preparation of 

 bulletins.— A. K. F. 



Book News 



The Superintendent of Public Education 

 of the State of Wisconsin issues, as usual, 

 an elaborate Arbor and Bird Day Annual. 



Leaflet No. 30 of the Home Nature- 

 Study Course, of the College of Agriculture, 

 of Cornell University, is in part devoted 

 to the Woodpeckers. It is edited by Mrs. 

 Anna Botsford Comstock, and illustrated 

 by figures of the Downy Woodpecker and 

 the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker by Fuertes. 



