Book News and Reviews 



255 



Red-winged Blackbird from Texas, which 

 he calls megapotamns. He finds that 

 examples of Agelaius phxniceus rich- 

 mondi from northeastern Mexico and 

 central southern Texas differ from typical 

 richmondi from farther south in that the 

 females are less brownish, and both sexes 

 are larger. 



In 'Migration Records for Kansas Birds,' 

 Bessie Price Douthitt continues a subject 

 begun in the last December issue. The 

 article is really a very briefly annotated 

 list of the birds of the state, while the 

 migration data for the commonest species 

 are obviously very incomplete. It should 

 serve, however, as a good basis for future 

 field-work, and should stimulate other 

 Kansas bird-lovers to record the neces- 

 sary additions and corrections. We cannot 

 but doubt, for instance, if the Olive-sided 

 Flycatcher is a rare summer resident, when 

 the data given does not even indicate such 

 a possibility. 



The usual general notes conclude the 

 issue. The 'European Widgeon in Lake 

 County' (Ohio), by E. A. Doolittle, is as 

 excellent an example of a sight record, 

 which is brightly written and convincing, 

 as we have seen in a long time. If 'opera 

 glass' students and amateur observers 

 could write in the same style it would 

 greatly decrease the troubles of ornitho- 

 logical editors. — L. G. 



The Journal of the Museum of Com- 

 parative Oology. — The first number of 

 this new Journal was published on March 

 26 of this year and consists of 35 pages, 

 illustrated. Officially, this is Numbers 

 I and 2 of a periodical "intended eventually 

 to be issued as a Quarterly, but now put 

 out as an Annual." 



The Museum of Comparative Oology, re- 

 cently established at Santa Barbara, Calif., 

 with Mr. William Leon Dawson as Direc- 

 tor, is devoted to the study of the birds of 

 the world, their nests and eggs. It is the 

 purpose of the institution to become the 

 World's Museum of Birds' Eggs, and to 

 devote itself especially to those problems 

 of ornithology on which the eggs, nests, 

 and nesting habits of birds can throw light. 



The present issue of the Journal is taken 

 up mainly with notice of the establish- 

 ment, purposes, and policies of the Mu- 

 seum. As frontispiece, there is a photo- 

 graphic reproduction of the late Rowland 

 Gibson Hazard, who was very much in- 

 terested in the enterprise of the Museum, 

 and, on a later page, a short memorial 

 notice of Mr. Hazard, especially as regards 

 his connection with the Museum. 



In future issues of this Journal we hope 

 to see valuable contributions to our knowl- 

 edge of those interesting ohases of bird- 

 life which surround the egg: all the inter- 

 esting instincts and habits of nest-building 

 and nidification, on the one hand, develop- 

 ment and care of the young, on the other. 

 It is to be regretted that the pagination 

 in this first issue is spelled out at the 

 bottom of each page instead of plainly 

 set forth in figures at the top, as is 

 customary. There seems to be no value 

 in this novel arrangement, which we trust 

 will not be continued. — J. T. N. 



Book News 



The California Fish and Game Com- 

 mission announces that "Compact nature- 

 study libraries will be placed at those 

 Tahoe resorts which are selected for the 

 state of California nature-study field 

 excursions this summer. The libraries 

 will include books on birds, game 

 birds, wild flowers, trees, and kindred 

 objects. Donated to the state by the 

 California Nature Study League, they 

 will be deposited with the Fish and 

 Game Commission to be thus utilized in 

 the Commission's educational work. 



"In addition to this library there will be 

 displayed at each resort where lectures 

 and field-trips are given, a large number of 

 colored plates of birds and mammals. 

 Thus vacationists will be able to increase 

 their fund of information regarding wild 

 life by a study of pictures giving full 

 colors, by specimens and by books giving 

 detailed facts." 



We commend this admirable plan to the 

 attention of other fish and game com- 

 missions, 



