THE NIDOLOGIST 53 
[Publications for review should be sent to Dr. R. W. Suuretpt, 
Associate in Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.} 
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 
BAKER, FRANK Couns. A Naturalist in Mexico, 
being a Visit to Cuba, Northern Yucatan, and Mexico. 
With maps and illustrations. Sm. 8vo, cloth. Pp. 
1-145. Chicago, 1895. [From The Chicago Acad- 
emy of Sciences. ] 
LEVERKtHN, Paut. Vogelschutz in England. Mit 
einer Tafel. (Sonderabdruck aus der ‘‘ Ornithol. 
Monatsschrift des Deutschen Vereins zum Schutze 
der Vogelwelt.” Jahrg. 1894. Nr. 1-11.) Halle, 
1895. [From the author.] 
LEVERKUHN, PAu. TZodesanzeigen. VII1 and IX. 
Tid. Jahrg. 1895. Nr. 6,9. [From the author.] 
TownsenD, C. H. Birds from Cocos and Malpelo 
Islands, with Notes on Petrels obtained at Sea. Bull. 
Mus. Comp. Zoél. Harvard Coll. Vol. XXVII, No. 
3, Art. xvii. Pp.121-126. Two colored plates. [Not 
numbered.] Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A., July, 
1895. [From the author. ] 
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club, No. XXTX, 
and Chairman's Address on Opening the Fourth Ses- 
sion of the British Ornithologists’ Club, 1895. [Both 
from Mr. Howard Saunders, F.Z.S., Secretary of 
the Club.] 
E.uiot, DANIEL GrraAuD, F.R.S.E., etc. orth 
American Shore Birds, Francis P. Harper, New 
York, 1895. Illustrated by Edwin Sheppard. Pp. 
1-287. Crown 8vo, cloth. [From the publisher. ] 
The A. O, U. Check-List of North American Birds. 
Second and Revised Edition. Issued by the American 
Ornithologists’ Union. L. S. Foster, New York, 1895. 
Pp. i-xi, 1-372. 8vo, cloth. [From the publisher. | 
The Feather. Vol. 1, No.2. November, 1895. 
The American Monthly Microscopical Fournal. 
XVI, No. 11. November, 1895. 
Popular Science News. December, 1895. 
The American Field, November, 1895. 
Forest and Stream. November, 1895. 
Shooting and Fishing. November, 1895. 
Baker: 4 Naturalist in Mexico, being a Visit to Cuba, 
Northern Yucatan, and Mexico. In this little volume 
we have presented us a popular account of a Mexican 
expedition, compiled from the notebook of the author 
and naturalist that accompanied it. Weare left some- 
what in doubt as to the year that this expedition was 
entered upon or completed, but nevertheless we are 
told in the preface that ‘‘ the tour which forms its sub- 
ject was undertaken under the auspices of the Academy 
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the author acting 
as Zodlogist. The expedition was under the leader- 
ship of Professor Angelo Heilprin, Curator-in-charge 
of the Philadelphia Academy, and its object was to 
collect data and specimens illustrating the fauna, flora, 
and geology of Yucatan and Southern Mexico, with a 
consideration of the high mountain peaks of the Mexi- 
can Plateau. For full accounts concerning the scien- 
tific portion of the expedition, the reader is respectfully 
referred to the Proceedings of the above academy 
from 1890 to 1895.’ From this it would appear that 
Vol. 
the expedition must have been made some time prior 
to 1890, and closed early in 1895. In his narrative 
Mr. Baker has attempted to link together matters of 
science, matters of history, and matters of descriptive 
detail, and in the majority of instances throughout 
the work he has very well succeeded in doing this, and 
in astyle to fully interest the reader. Two or three 
sketchy outline maps serve to help out the text, and 
show the route taken by the exploring party. Fur- 
thermore, the volume is embellished by the addition 
of numerous half-tone plates, made from the photo- 
graphs taken of cities visited, peoples seen, and vari- 
ous other subjects of interest. The pen and ink 
sketches made by the author had better, perhaps, been 
omitted in most cases, as they are greatly lacking in 
artistic beauty, and but illy compare with the really 
very creditable half-tone plates that are given. 
The work especially interested the present reviewer, 
as a number of the places in Cuba, Yucatan, and 
Mexico had been visited by mein former years. Mr. 
Baker's notes on what he saw in the city of Havana, 
Cuba, are very good, and the same may be said for 
Vera Cruz. Very tempting sketches of the shores and 
forests that were visited along the line of the route 
are given; but unfortunately the descriptions of the 
birds seen, or even what they were, are altogether too 
vague. It is only occasionally, however, that we 
catch Mr. Baker in downright error in his book, as, 
for example, when describing the Mammal Hall of 
the Museo Nacional of the City of Mexico, he says of 
Hyrax capensis, that ‘*‘ this animal, from Australia, is 
exceedingly rare, but few museums possessing speci- 
mens of it(p.95). Now, Hyvax capensis is an Afri- 
can animal, and not especially uncommon in the col- 
lections of the larger museums of the world. 
Mr. Baker, on page 141, makes a remarkable state- 
ment about the Black Vultures of Vera Cruz (Catha- 
vista atrata), namely, ‘‘ There is one mystery in regard 
to these birds which naturalists are trying to solve, 
namely, their breeding place. No one knows where 
they go to build their nests and rear their young.” 
Of course, the breeding habits of these birds within 
the limits of the United States are well known, and 
doubtless the Black Vultures of Vera Cruz possess 
similar ones, that is, they nest on the ground in the 
forests beyond the city limits. R.W.S 
LEVERKUHN: On Vogelschutz in England. The dis- 
tinguished author of this work has devoted himself to 
several departments of Ornithology during past years, 
and yery recently I have been favored with a large 
number of reprints of his works in these fields. Pro- 
fessor Leverkiihn has proved himself especially active 
in the matter of bird protection and everything that 
pertains thereto. He has had his attention directed 
to this subject in many of the countries of Europe, 
and he has accomplished a great deal of good by agi- 
tating the entire question. In the present memoir the 
whole matter of bird protection and the killing of 
birds in England is taken up and handled in a more 
or less exhaustive manner. Various acts of the Brit- 
ish Parliament from 1869 and on, passed with the 
view of protecting sea fowl and land birds, are dis- 
cussed in their many bearings, and these acts include 
the Pease’s Bill of 1880. His words bring the case 
directly home to ourselves, and it is very sure that in 
certain, and perhaps in all, quarters our birds can 
only be efficiently protected by acts of Congress, and 
these at all times most rigidly enforced. R. W. S. 
TownsEND: On Birds from Cocos and Malpelo Islands, 
with Notes on Petrels obtained at Sea, is a memoir well 
worthy of notice. It constitutes one of the ‘‘ Reports 
on the Dredging Operations off the West Coast of 
