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Bird -Lore 



ard publications on the birds of their 

 respective regions. Mr. Swarth's list is 

 based largely on observations made by him- 

 self between :'\pril 25 and July 20, 1896; 

 March 29 and September 5. 1902, and Feb- 

 ruary 17 and May 30, 1903. His list of 

 195 species he believes to represent fairly 

 the resident and summer resident birds, and 

 thinks that further field work would' add 

 some migrants and an occasional straggler. 

 It contains no less than eleven of our seven- 

 teen Humming-birds. His annotations are 

 •often extended, a page or more frequently 

 being devoted to a single species 



Mr. Allen summarizes our knowledge 

 of the distributional status of Vermont 

 birds. He lists 283 species as having been 

 positivel}^ ascertained to occur in the state, 

 and in this connection comments on the 

 necessity for care in identification, saying, 

 "The trained naturalist, who appreciates 

 at what pains facts are determined, is conT 

 tent to leave unrecorded that of which he is 

 in doubt. Of much greater value is it to 

 establish one new fact in the life-history of 

 a common bird than to record the accidental 

 presence of a species far from its normal 

 range," a remark which should be taken 

 to heart by every student of birds with an 

 opera-glass. Mr. Allen, in addition to an 

 exceptionally well-annotated list, presents an 

 interesting historical introduction, a copious 

 bibliography, and, what is too often lacking 

 from local lists, an index. It is satisfactory to 

 observe that the author has followed the 

 A. O. U. 'Check-List' in nomenclature 

 ■and classification rather than the inconve- 

 nient system employed in ' The Birds of 

 Massachusetts,' of which he was joint author. 



Mr. Todd also gives us a paper contain- 

 ing all the information available concerning 

 the bird-life of the area under consideration. 

 He enumerates 237 species, with extended 

 annotations, a descriptive introduction and 

 bibliography. The reviewer notes with 

 surprise that the Dickcissel is admitted to 

 the list on the authority of only a single ob- 

 server. While visiting the late George B. 

 Sennett at Erie during the last of May and 

 first of June, 1890, he observed at least six 

 individuals of this species which were evi- 

 dently breeding near the city. — F. M. C. 



Baby Pathfinder to the Birds. By 

 Harriet E. Richards and Emma G. 

 CuMMiN'GS. W. A. Butterfield, Boston. 

 1904. Oblong, 64mo. 1-125 pages, 

 numerous outline cuts in text. 



This pocket booklet treats of no common 

 eastern birds, giving with each one a descrip- 

 tion of plumage, characteristic habits, notes, 

 nesting site and breeding range. At least 

 one species of each family is figured. Everj- 

 other page is blank and is designed for field 

 memoranda, a fact which, in connection with 

 the book's small size, should commend its 

 use as a field book where more bulky vol- 

 umes would be out of place. 



Both authors have had extended experi- 

 ence in studying birds through an opera 

 glass, and are, therefore, specially fitted to 

 administer to those who would name birds 

 in nature. — F. M. C. 



Our Birds and their Nestlings. By 

 Margaret Coulson Walker. Ameri- 

 can Book Company. i2mo. 1-208 pages, 

 14 colored plates, numerous half-tones. 



This book seems admirably adapted for 

 the use of the primary teacher who would 

 arouse in her pupils an interest in our com- 

 mon birds. 



Twenty common birds are dealt with bio- 

 graphically. Stories and poems concerning 

 them are interspersed at intervals. 



Fourteen coloritypes from mounted birds 

 facilitate identification, and, with numerous 

 photographs of nests, eggs and young birds, 

 chiefly by Herrick and Dugmore, should 

 hold the child's interest and stimulate its 

 curiosity. We note that in republishing 

 Ernest Seton's verses, ' The Myth of the 

 Song Sparrow,' the author has failed to say 

 that they originally appeared in Bird-Lore. 

 — F. M. C. 



Notes on the Herons of the District of 

 Columbia. Bv Paul Bartsch. Smith- 

 sonian Miscell.' Colls. Vol. XL. Wash- 

 ington, 1903. 



Nine species of Herons have been recorded 

 from the District of Columbia, four of them 

 as breeding, and Mr. Bartsch here tells of 

 the status of these birds and gives us the re- 

 sults of his experiences with them. Specially 

 interesting are his studies on a colony of 



