22 



Bulletin of the Michigan Oenithological Club. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Birds of Village and Field. A bird book for begin- 

 neis, by Florence A. Merriam. Boston and New York. 

 Houghton, Mififlin & Co. 



It is a pleasure to take up such a book as this, and 

 one of its principal charms is the love evinced by the 

 authoress, throughout, ior her feathered friends. Miss 

 Merriam lets us know at the outset, that it is of living 

 birds she treats, one of her chief aims being to show the 

 student that a fair, all around knowledge of ornithology 

 may be acquired, and in a pleasurable way, without 

 taking their lives. Passing over the preface, which is 

 mainly an acknowledgement ol assistance rendered by 

 various friends, we are gradually introduced to the haunts 

 of the birds themselves ; hints are given as to how^ best 

 to watch for them, particular stress being laid on their 

 beneficial influence in destroying noxious insects ; and 

 sundry ways and means of study, which will prove of 

 assistance to those commencing bird study. 



Miss Merriam' s sensible "outfit," as she naively puts 

 it, does not include a gun, or any other death dealmg 

 device ; and it she has to give statistics, showing the 

 proportion of insects found in the crops of various birds, 

 we will wager our reputation that the death of no one of 

 the innocents, lies at her door. As the sister o( such a 

 scientist as Dr. C. Hart Merriam, it goes without saying 

 that she was exceptionally fortunate, so far as the treat- 

 ment of this portion of her subject with authority was 

 concerned. A comprehensive Field Color Key, copi- 

 ously illustrated, will be found of material assistance to 

 beginners 



The statement at the commencement of the work that 

 the writer would not adhere strictly to scientific nomen- 

 clature prepared us somewhat, and we were not quite 

 so much taken aback as we might have been at the de- 

 lightful audacity which precipitates the student from the 

 Ruby throat to the Crow ; from the Robin to the 

 Chimney Swift, etc. It takes just a little time for the 

 rigid classificationist — if we may coin the word — to get 

 into line, so to say, but the cheery vein which permeates 

 the book fiom cover to cover, quickly brings us into 

 imaginary contact with the writer and through her, with 

 her pets, and we read on with renewed zest. An illus- 

 tration is given with almost every bird and in many in- 

 stances, also of the insects of which they are more par- 

 ticularly fond. This is a subject to which much atten- 

 tion is given, and must tell strongly in favor of the birds. 

 Comparisons are given of feet, wings, tails and beaks, 

 together with much important detail ; but in no instance 

 does the authoress lapse into a style which would tend to 

 make the reading of the book too heavy for youthful 

 students. However, as we proceed, it is interesting to 

 note how Miss Merriam gradually comes under the sway 

 of the inevitable, until by the time the "Raptores" are 

 reached, we have practically a scientific sequence ; 

 and so on with the "Warblers." 



To us the book is simply beyond criticism ; it is essen- 

 tially a book for the young, and it is to the rising gener- 

 ation, in these days, that we must look for that public 

 sentiment which will be so all-powerful in aiding to en- 

 force the laws for the protection of our wild birds. This 

 does not by any means imply that much pleasure — and 

 profit too — cannot be derived from the perusing of the 

 work bv the more advanced ornithologist. We would 

 strongly advocate that "Birds of Village and Field" 

 should have a place in the library ot every Public School 

 in the land. We would go further, and say that the 

 subject of much of it should be made the basis of a text 

 book for use in the schools, and thus supply a long felt 

 want in the curriculum. 



When we add that we hope, when next Miss Merriam 

 starts out with her note book she may have an adjunct 

 in the way of a camera to her outfit, we have not the 

 slightest intention of disparaging the very excellent illus- 

 trations which accompany the text. Both Messrs. Fuertes 

 and Ridgway are well known for their accurate and 

 characteristic rendering of bird life, while Mr. E. S. 

 Thompson, from his varied experience, is equally at home 

 making a dainty etching of a couple of Goldfinches and 

 nest, as he is at portraying a charging grizzly. 



We heartily wish this little book the success it de- 

 serves. It is published at a price, practically within the 

 reach of all, viz., $2.00, in pretty cloth binding. — P. S. 



In Brush., Sedge and Stubble By Dwight W. Hunt- 

 ington, published by the Sportsman's Society, Cincinnati. 



The first sixteen pages of this work have just come from 

 the press, and are sent out as the first of the twenty-five 

 parts in which the book will be published. The work 

 promises to be of a high class. The pages are of large 

 size and of a fine quality of paper, printed with a clear, 

 good sized type. The descriptions of the two birds, the 

 Sharp-tailed and Sage Grouse, nearly covered in these 

 sixteen pages, are very full and interesting. Mr. Hunt- 

 ington describes fully the characteristics, haunts, and 

 habits of these two Grouse, and in such a way ihat the 

 description will be of interest and value to the ornitholo- 

 gist as well as well as to the sportsman. 



Mr. Huntington has divided the Grouse into two 

 classes — those of the open country and those of the 

 woods and mountains. This classification, he says in an 

 introduction, is not intended to be ornithological but 

 sportsmanlike. He informs us that he writes for those 

 who enjoy the sport afield, rather than the number of 

 feathers in tail or covert. Although this book is intended 

 mainly for the sportsman, we are sure that it is worthy 

 of being read by every lover of birds. The book will 

 tell us much about those interesting species that we call 

 our game birds. 



Fourteen excellent half-tones and one colored plate, 

 appear among these sixteen pages. There is one full- 

 page plate showing a photogrophic study, from mounted 

 birds, of the Prairie Grouse and the Sage Grouse. There 

 are also a number of smaller cuts showing hunting scenes 

 and various game studies. There is one interesting pic- 

 ture from a photograph of Audubon's old fowling piece. 

 The frontispiece is a colored plate of high quality, from 

 an artistic standpoint. It is entitled "Ptarmigan 

 Shooting." 



We wash Mr. Huntington the best of success with this 

 work, and are sure it will meet a large demand by 

 students of birds as well as those who love to roam the 

 fields for pleasurable sport. — T. L. H. 



Ornithology of North Carol'na. A list of the Birds of 

 North Carolina, with Notes on Each Species. Issued by 

 the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 Raleigh, N. C. Bulletin No. 144, October 30, 1897. 



This is a typical annotated State List. It is the first 

 of the kind that has been issued by this Experiment 

 Station, and without doubt is the most complete list of 

 North Carolina birds extant. 



In the the preface, the author, J. W. P. Smithwick, 

 M. D., gives a brief account of previous lists, from 

 Catesby's, in 1670, to that of Prof. G. F. Atkinson, in 

 1887. A map is appended showing the state divided into 

 three regions : The eastern or tide water, including land 

 east of a line at an altitude of one hundred feet above the 

 sea level ; the middle or piedmont, bounded on the east 

 by the two-hundred-foot line, and on the west by a 

 similar one at an altitude of 'iwo. hundred feet ; and west 



