Michigan Ornithological Club 25 



"The author is well known to ornithologists and amateurs, especially under 

 her maiden name of Florence A. Merriam. She has been assisted in the 

 preparation of the book by her husband, Mr. Vernon Bailey, of the United 

 States Biological Survey, whose experience of about twenty years in the 

 field as an ornithologist and mammalogist has taken him into all parts of the 

 West. Mrs. Bailey herself has worked in California nearly three years, 

 and has spent some time in Utah, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. Her 

 home is in Washington, D. C, where she has constant access to the gov- 

 ernment collections." 



It may, perhaps, seem out of place here, in a journal devoted to the orni- 

 thology of the Great Lakes Region, to call notice to a book intended for 

 the students west of the Mississippi. Yet in offering a western counterpart of 

 Chapman's work, Mrs. Bailey has given to science a work which will not 

 only be of great value to our western brethren,- but of value to all who, in 

 these days of advancement, wish to extend their ornithological knowledge 

 beyond their native boundaries. 



"The book is well equipped with illustrated keys, and the matter under 

 each species is presented in an orderly fashion. In the case of land birds — 

 the most important from an economic point of view — a brief statement of 

 the food of each species is given. For the introduction Mr. Bailey contrib- 

 utes directions for the skinning of birds and the preparation of eggs ; Dr. 

 T. S. Palmer furnishes a paper on bird protection, and lists of birds found 

 at various representative localities in the West, are supplied by competent 

 ornithologists. The Introduction also treats the subject of economics, migra- 

 tion, note-taking, and so forth." 



The many full-page plates by Fuertes and the numerous cuts in the 

 text, add in no small measure to the value and usefulness of this work. 

 Through the courtesy of the publishers we are able to present to our readers 

 two reprints of Mr. Fuerte's drawings. The cut of the Ring-bill Gull, which 

 is somewhat reduced from the frontispiece, is a work of art and can be 

 appreciated only by those who have seen this graceful creature flying over 

 our rivers and lakes. 



To the closet naturalist of the East, this Handbook is indispensible, and 

 for the students of the West it will" be found as useful as we find "Chapman" 

 — which means that it is the best book for the working ornithologist. 



A. W. B, Jr. 



The Story of a Martin Colony. By J. Warren Jacobs. 



This interesting paper, based chiefly on the author's observations, covers 

 a study of these interesting birds from 1896 until 1902, at Waynesburg, Pa. 



The dates of arrival from 1891 until 1902 are given, varying from March 

 20th until April 8th. Cold weather retarding arrival. The adult males come 

 first, usually one by one. They depart for the South in flocks usually the 

 third week in August — sometimes a few remain until early September. 



Mr. Jacobs has had excellent opportunity to study their food habits and 

 finds it consists largely of beetles, dragon flies, Mayflies, winged ants and 

 butterflies, all of which are, as far as observed, caught on the wing. 



One of the worst enemies of the Martin, is the English Sparrow. 

 The author notes that this species frequently kills the young by pecking 

 its skull. It also destroys the Martin's eggs, and builds its nest in their 



