82 THE NIDOLOOIST 
NUTYTALL’S ORNITHOLOGY, edited by Montague 
Chamberlain, second edition; from Little, Brown & 
Co., Boston. The new edition of the ‘‘Popular Hand- 
book of the Ornithology of Eastern North America,”’ 
land and water birds, appear with rio illustrations in 
colors, which are unusually good, and mark advance- 
ment in the art. Mr. Chamberlain’s numerous correc- 
tions and additions have brought the classical writings 
of Nuttall ‘‘down to date,” making numerous im- 
provements over his first edition. It is a valuable con- 
tribution to science which deserves liberal apprecia- 
tion. 
A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO, by Florence A. Merriam; 
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston and New York, 
price $1.25. Miss Merriam has a very pretty way of 
putting her enthusiasm for the study of her bird friends 
into words, and the reader follows her with unflagging 
interest as she writes of charming excursions afield in 
the vicinity of Twin Oaks, Southern California, where 
she spent two delightful summers. The Western 
Home Wren, Western Gnatcatcher, Road Runner, 
Phainopepla and many others are described as the author 
saw them daily in their home life. Observations are 
made, in all, on about sixty species. Numerous half- 
tones, with life-like pen drawings by Mr. Fuertes fur- 
nish the illustrations for this latest and praiseworthy 
addition to popular Ornithology. 
CrRossBILLs, by Dr. R. W. Shufeidt, is a character- 
istic and comprehensive article on these curious birds, 
appearing in ‘‘Popular Science News’? for March, ’97. 
The paper is accompanied by a good drawing by the 
author of two of the birds, one being represented in the 
attitude of extracting a seed froma pine cone. He 
writes: ‘‘The Crossbills present a character no less 
unique than the crossing of their bills—a feature not 
at present known to exist in any other species of the 
entire class ‘‘Aves.” Both the upper and lower bills 
are sub-crescentic in form, the margins being sharp and 
the apices extremely acute. Passing from base to apex, 
the lower bill is gradually curved to one side, the upper 
mandible having a corresponding curve to the opposite 
side, and both present a decided curvature of their own. 
This arrangement admits of the mandibles crossing 
each other near their middle thirds, and in this cross- 
ing the point of the lower jaw turns out to the right 
side. I have met with about one specimen in fifteen 
where the crossing takes place in the other direction. 
By this contrivance the bird has the power of forcibly 
pressing apart the firm leaflets of the cones of various 
pine trees, and by a dexterous use of the tongue, whip- 
ping into its mouth the seeds concealed in the deeper 
recesses.” 
BREEDING GROUNDS OF THE Rosy GULL. Dr. T. 
S. Palmer of Washington, D. C., has published a 
timely article in ‘‘Science’” for January, on Nansen’s 
discovery of the breeding grounds of the rare Ahodos- 
tethia rosea. The Rosy Gullis a typical Arctic cir- 
cum-polar bird, reaching a remarkably high latitade. 
“No one has yet been able to explain,” writes Dr. 
Palmer, ‘‘what becomes of the thousands which pass 
Point Barrow in the autumn, and less is known of the 
winter home of this Gull than of the region where it 
breeds.” Murdoch supposed its nesting grounds to be 
located somewhere north of Wrangel Island. In a 
letter published in the ‘‘London Daily Chronicle’’ Dr. 
Nansen stated that he observed Rosy Gulls in flocks 
August 6. These were seen near four small islands 
called ‘‘Hirtenland” by Nansen, a little northeast of 
Franz Josef Land. Although no nests were actually 
observed by Dr. Nansen he found the birds abundant 
and concluded that their nests were near by. Dr. 
Palmer finds no reason to question Nansen’s views, 
but concludes, quoting Schalow, ‘‘When will man’s 
foot again tread the dreary wastes of those high lati- 
tudes where one of the greatest rarities of Northern 
Oology is to be found?”’ 
A LIsT OF THE BIRDS OF WINNEBAGO AND HAN- 
cocK CounTIEs, Iowa, by Rudolph M. Anderson, 
Forest City, Iowa, 20 pages, published by the author, 
1897. The list records 216 species, and is accompanied 
by careful annotations, and a short description of the 
topography and characteristics of the region. Notes 
are given on the breeding of the Whooping and Sand- 
hill Cranes. 
BIRDs, a monthly serial, Nature Study Publishing 
Co., Chicago, $1 per year. We have received No. 1 
of this magazine (January 1897), and accord it a hearty 
welcome. Enclosed in a very attractive cover are 
thirty-six pages of popular matter well chosen to inter- 
est the young in schools and homes, including ten page 
plates in color photography of such birds as Cock-of- 
the-Rock, Australian Grass Paroquet, Red-throated 
Toucan and many other brilliant and curious forms. 
Aside from the excellence of its arrangement the best 
encomium for the new venture lies in the fact that its 
publishers, not content to be mere copyists, have devised 
a new thing and entered a field entirely their own. 
BULLETIN OF THE MICHIGAN ORNITHOLOGICAL 
CLUB, quarterly, Grand Rapids, Mich., 50 cents per 
year. No, 1 of this excellent publication starts off at 
the beginning of 1897 with twelve pages filled with 
valuable articles pertaining to the Ornithology of 
Michigan. The style of the new journal does credit to 
its editor-in-chief, L. Whitney Watkins, and to his 
associates, T. L. Hankinson, N. A. Wood and W. A. 
Davidson. W. KE. Mulliken and L. J. Cole are the 
managing editors. A good half-tone portrait of Prof, 
Walter B. Barrows accompanies an able article from 
his pen entitled ‘‘Michigan Ornithology to the Front.” 
We trust the new publication, which indicates progress 
in Ornithology, will receive the enthusiastic support 
which it certainly deserves. 
THE third annual meeting of the Northwestern 
Ornithological Association met at Salem, Or., Decem- 
ber 29 and 30, 1896. The meetings were enthusiastic 
and attended by members from various parts of the 
state. Several interesting papers were read and Mr. 
George D. Peck gave an instructive lecture on Taxi- 
dermy. A fine exhibit of Oregon birds and eggs were 
made. 
THE ‘‘Story of the Farallones,”’ the beautifully illus- 
trated souvenir, will be out soon. It will be most in- 
teresting and cheap at the price, besides being a brochure 
of permanent value to Ornithologists. 
WE READ in a Haverhill, Mass. paper, that Mr. 
Chas. S. Butters has recently had on exhibition there a 
fine lot of birds, shot on the Maine shores last fall and 
mounted by himself. 
RICHARD C. McGReEGor desires us to state that 
during his absence in Lower California, state lists, 
books or other material sent to his Palo Alto address 
will be received and cared for. 
