46 



Bird - Lore 



ing and important matter as this annual 

 summary of the work and plans of the 

 Biological Survey. After vainly attempt- 

 ing to summarize this summary we always 

 come to the conclusion that it can be 

 adequately reviewed only by reprinting 

 it in full — which, under the circumstances, 

 is out of the question. 



For example, we learn from the first 

 paragraph devoted to birds that Sap- 

 suckers {Sphyrapicus), through their habit 

 of puncturing the bark of trees, are esti- 

 mated to occasion an annual loss of $i, 

 250,000 to the timber industry of the 

 United States. To offset this we are told, 

 on the following page, that thirty-eight 

 species of birds are now known to feed 

 upon the gypsy moth, and eight species 

 of the brown-tail moth. 



Investigations are in progress on the 

 food-habits of wild Ducks, and Flycatch- 

 ers, and much progress has been made 

 in mapping faunal zones, biological sur- 

 veys of Colorado and New Mexico having 

 been completed. 



The sections in relation to 'Game Pro- 

 tection,' 'Importations' National Bird 

 Reservations' and 'Plumage' abound in 

 facts of especial concern to the bird-pro- 

 tectionist. Thus it appears that, in July 

 1909, 7,000 semi-decomposed eggs of Terns 

 were brought from Jamaica to New York 

 City, where they were being sold as food 

 in the restaurants at thirty cents each — a 

 pretty high price even for an epicure to 

 pay for the privilege of eating a bad egg. 

 — F. M. C. 



Annual Report of the State Ornithol- 

 ogists OF [Massachusetts], for the 

 Year 1909. [By E. H. Forbush.] Re- 

 print from the Fifty - seventh Annual 

 Report of the State Board of Agriculture. 

 Boston. 1910. 25 pages, 2 plates. 



Mr. Forbush (whom we assume to be 

 the writer of this report, although its 

 author's name is not given) here presents 

 a summary of the year's work which shows 

 how active a state ornithologist can be 

 and how important his office may be made. 

 Lectures and legislative work consumed 

 much time. The census influencing the 

 decrease and increase in the numbers of 



certain species of birds in the state are dis- 

 cussed, and a quantity of relevant data 

 have been gaj;hered. The status of the 

 Purple Martin is dwelt upon at some 

 length, and the experiences of persons who 

 have attempted to found Martin colonies 

 are given. 



Investigations of the possible poisoning 

 of birds by spraying trees with arsenical 

 solutions were inconclusive, but it seem 

 probable that "the fatal effects of such 

 spraying have been exaggerated." 



Under the head of 'Some Changes in 

 Bird-Life in Massachusetts,' it is said that 

 the Prairie Horned Larks and Carolina 

 Wren are increasing as breeding birds in 

 the state, and that the Mallard, Canvas- 

 back and Evening Grosbeak occur more 

 frequently. — F. M. C. 



Ornithological Magazines 



The Condor. — Three numbers of 'The 

 Condor' have appeared since the last re- 

 view, but, on account of lack of space, 

 only the most important articles can now 

 be noticed, and these very briefly. The 

 leading article in the July number, by R. 

 B. Rockwell, on 'Some Colorado Night 

 Heron Notes,' gives the results of some 

 interesting observations, made in 1906, 

 1907, and 1908, on breeding-colonies at 

 Barr, nineteen miles northeast of Denver, 

 Colo. One of these colonies was located 

 in a cat-tail swamp, and the nests were 

 placed on or near the ground. Peyton's 

 Nesting of the Spotted Owl (in Castaic 

 Canon), Los Angeles County,' and Pem- 

 berton's 'Notes on the Rufous-crowned 

 Sparrow,' nesting near Arroyo del Valle, 

 Alameda Co., Cal., both contain impor- 

 tant breeding records of rare birds. The 

 Directory of members of the Cooper Or- 

 nithological Club, which appears in this 

 number, includes the names of 302 mem- 

 bers of whom four are honorary. 



One of the most important papers which 

 has ever appeared in 'The Condor' is the 

 well-illustrated article in the September 

 number, by Ray, on 'The Discovery of 

 the Nest and Eggs of the Gray-crowned 

 Leucosticte.' Although the bird was first 



