ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 35 



A Working Library of Bulletins 



Readers of the Spring Bulletin are here reminded of the aid which the 

 U. S. Government gives in the way of carefully prepared bulletins setting 

 forth the economic importance of birds and detailing methods of attracting 

 and feeding them. As to schools availing themselves of these bulletins 

 it is suggested that the teachers write for these bulletins and distribute 

 them rather than encourage indiscriminate application by children who may 

 not realize the value of the material thus freely given away. 



Farmers' Bulletin No. 621. How to Attract Birds in Northeastern, 

 United States, by W. L. McAtee, describes bird shelters and methods of 

 feeding birds, and contains a very complete list of fruits attractive to 

 birds. Farmers' Bulletin No. 609. entitled. Bird Houses and How to 

 Build Them, by Ned Dearborn, has numerous detailed drawings and 

 covers the subject completely. With these two bulletins at hand, one of 

 15 pages, the other of 19, one has a good working library to start with. 

 Farmers' Bulletin No. 493, The English Sparrow as a Pest, by Ned Dear- 

 born, (24 pages. 17 illustrations) treats the subject authoritatively and 

 completely. It should be studied and its suggestions followed up every- 

 where in our state. Bulletin No. 630, Some Common Birds Useful to the 

 Farmer, by Beal (27 pages with illustrations), treats of 25 groups of birds. 

 This Bulletin together with Farmers' Bulletin No. 497, Some Common 

 Game, Aquatic and Rapacious Birds in Relation to Man, (30 pages, 14 

 illustrations), by McAtee and Beal, and Farmers' Bulletin No. 506, Food 

 of Some Well Known Birds of Farm, Forest, and Garden, (35 pages, 16 

 illustrations), by the same authors, should be added to one's working 

 library. All the bulletins mentioned above are to be had free of charge, 

 by writing to the Department of Agriculture at Washington. 



As an addendum to this list mention might be made of Farmer's 

 Bulletin, No. 513, entitled "Fifty Common Birds of Farm and Orchard." 

 This has 31 pages and 50 colored illustrations. All but nine or ten of 

 the birds there pictured and described nest in Illinois and it would be 

 very desirable if an unlimited supply of this valuable bulletin were avail- 

 able for reference and for class study in Illinois. As it is not given in the 

 March 1917 circular of the U. S. Biological Survey in the list of publica- 

 tions available for general distribution, no statement can be made here 

 as to the method of securing it. 



The State Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts has in its employ 

 the distinguished ornithologist, Edward Howe Forbush, and the bulletins 

 issued under his supervision are of unusual value. Two of the special 

 reports that Mr. Forbush has issued as bound volumes are entitled, Useful 

 Birds and Their Protection, and A History of the Game Birds, Wild Fowl 

 and Shore Birds of Massachusetts, etc. These are described elsewhere 

 under the head of Suggestive List of Bird Books. These are sold at cost 

 for $1.00 plus postage. 



The annual reports prepared by Mr. Forbush are of interest far beyond the 

 boundaries of Massachusetts. The Eighth Annual Report for the year 1915 

 has some unusually valuable material relating to nesting boxes with reports 

 of success obtained with different types of boxes in various parts of Massa- 

 chusetts. The Ninth Annual Report for 1916 contributes additional mate- 

 rial of this kind. These reports are beautifully printed and illustrated. 



