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The Bird Study Book. By T. Gilbert 

 Pearson, Secretary, National Associa 

 tion of Audubon Societies. Doubleday, 

 Page & Co., Garden City, N. Y. 1917. 

 i2mo. xvi-l-258 pages; colored frontis- 

 piece; 16 photographs; numerous text 

 cuts. 



Few writers of popular bird-books have 

 had Mr. Pearson's opportunities to learn 

 definitely the kind of audience to which 

 their work was addressed. As a teacher, 

 as a representative of the National 

 Audubon Society, and for the past seven 

 years its chief executive, he has come into 

 personal touch with many thousands of 

 persons who from varying angles were 

 interested in birds. 



In his 'Bird Study Book' he has there- 

 fore supplied suggestions and informa- 

 tion which he actually knew were desired. 

 The result is a practical introduction to 

 the study of birds, telling why and how 

 we should learn to know them and, par- 

 ticularly, why we should protect them. 

 On this latter phase of his subject Mr. 

 Pearson speaks with exceptional authority. 

 Nowhere else will one find so satisfactory 

 an exposition of the work for bird-pro- 

 tection which has been done in this coun- 

 try and of the varied activities of bird- 

 conservers. 



We regret to observe that the pub- 

 lishers have denied the book the index its 

 contents so well deserve. — F. M. C. 



The Bird Poems of Miles A. Davis. 

 Published by John White Johnson, 

 Rochester, N. Y. i2mo. 37 pages. 



As Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson truly says 

 in his introduction to this little volume, 

 "Nothing seems more natural and proper 

 as a subject for poetic meditation than 

 birds." One does not have to be an ornith- 

 ologist to realize the poetry of bird-life, 

 and for that reason poems with birds as 

 themes may appeal as strongly to those to 

 whom birds are merely symbols as to 

 those who know them. 



Mr. Davis sings chiefly of our com- 

 moner birds, the Robin, Bluebird, Balti- 



( 



more Oriole, Bobolink, and others, and 

 his verses reveal an ardent sympathy with 

 bird-life and a poet's appreciation of the 

 charm and beauty of birds. — F. M. C. 



Ninth Annual Report of the State 

 Ornithologist [of Massachusetts]. By 

 Edward Howe Forbush. For the year 

 1916. From the Sixty-fourth Annual 

 Report of the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture. 1917. 26 pages, 6 plates. 



Like all its predecessors, this report is 

 filled with matter of interest and value to 

 the bird student and the agriculturist. It 

 deals with publications, lectures, legisla- 

 tion, bird-day and bird-night exercises, 

 bird-study in the schools, bird-boxes, 

 control of cats, and the status of certain 

 birds. Evidently the ornithologist of 

 the state of Massachusetts does not lack 

 for occupation. — -F. M. C. 



Hardenbergh's Bird Playmates. Pub- 

 lished by Charles Scribner's Sons, New 

 York City. 



The idea embodied in 'Hardenbergh's 

 Bird Playmates' seems to us so excellent 

 we cannot but regret that it has been so 

 poorly' executed. Four pieces of card- 

 board, averaging about 18 by 18 inches, 

 contain approximately 140 figures of 

 birds. These figures, which are nearly 

 'cut out,' are to be detached and placed at 

 a number corresponding to the one they 

 bear in one of two landscape cards which 

 measure 20 by 30 inches. One depicts a 

 shore, the other a wood scene. The place 

 allotted to each species on these cards is 

 designed to represent its haunts. The 

 child, therefore, not only learns to know 

 the bird but also gains some information 

 of the kind of country it inhabits. The 

 game makes an appeal similar to that 

 which prompts to construct maps and 

 pictures with blocks and the like. It 

 seems well designed to instruct as well as 

 amuse, but, unfortunately, many of the 

 birds are badly drawn and crudely colored, 

 with staring yellow, red or brown eyes (not 

 one has the iris black). After making all 



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