BOOK NOTICES. 



THE SPORTSMAN'S OWN BIRD BOOK. 



Success requires neither explanation nor 

 apology. Its logical sequence is repetition, 

 with imitation trailing along behind the pro- 

 cession, hungrily desirous of filching some 

 of the fruits of the triumph honestly won 

 by another. 



It is but natural and proper that the un- 

 qualified success of Neltje Blanchan's " Bird 

 Neighbors " should have led its author and 

 publishers to produce a companion volume 

 on the important bird families not in- 

 cluded in the first book. " Birds that Hunt 

 and are Hunted " is even better than its 

 predecessor. The arrangement is according 

 to the standard plan of classification, which 

 is infinitely more satisfactory than a classifi- 

 cation by colors, or anything else. The 

 large birds are more interesting, and better 

 subjects for color photography than the 

 smaller species, and it is not surprising that 

 there is more swing and " go " to the text. 

 Considering the degree of success attained 

 by the volume devoted to - the elusive and 

 confusing groups of perching birds and their 

 nearest allies, it is fair to expect that this 

 volume, devoted to our largest and most 

 interesting species, will have a run that for a 

 bird book will be unprecedented. 



Although the title is by no means satis- 

 factory — it is too frivolous for a standard 

 work of solid merit — the plan and scope of 

 the book are admirable, and the author's 

 work has been capitally done. Each of the 

 6 great avian groups is introduced by a 

 synopsis, or bird's-eye view, as it were, set- 

 ting forth the orders and families of each, so 

 plainly and yet so concisely that even a 

 twelve-year-old boy or girl of ordinary in- 

 telligence can obtain a perfectly clear idea 

 of the relations of the birds to each other. 

 These bird's-eye views constitute a good bit 

 of work, and every reader would do well to 

 study each with care. 



Part I., devoted to " Water Birds," con- 

 tains the Diving Birds (13 species de- 

 scribed), Long-Winged Swimmers (19), 

 Tube-nosed Swimmers (3), Fully-webbed 

 Swimmers (1), and Plate-billed Swimmers 

 (2,6). In "The Herons and their Allies," 

 9 species are described, and of the " Marsh 

 Birds" (Part III., cranes, rails, etc.), 11 re- 

 ceive attention. Part IV., " Shore Birds," 

 treat of 38 species. Part V. contains the 

 "Gallinaceous Game Birds" (13 species), 

 and the work closes with Part VI., " Birds 

 of Prey," describing 28 species. From these 

 6 orders, which contain all our large and 

 specially important birds, the rare and re- 

 mote species have very properly been 

 omitted. For a work of this character, the 

 descriptions of species are abundantly full, 



and it is only fair to add that they are well 

 written and serviceable. They cover the 

 " length," description of " male and female," 

 " range " and " season," in addition to 

 which there is furnished for each species a 

 general description of from one to 5 pages 

 in length. 



Like its predecessor, the most striking 

 feature of this work is its really great array 

 of large, colored plates. In spite of the 

 fact that a few of them were produced from 

 slightly imperfect birds, and in a few the 

 backgrounds have not been handled quite 

 as artistically as they might have been, the 

 great majority are admirable, and so faith- 

 fully portray the fine details of form, 

 plumage and color markings of the birds 

 represented that I gratefully accept the whole 

 series. Many of the plates are undeniably 

 fine. It is unnecessary to designate them, 

 for each reader will promptly choose for 

 himself a list of favorites, and gloat over 

 them with many and frequent gloats. The 

 first of my " favorite " plates are those 

 depicting the passenger pigeon, the great 

 blue heron, red-shouldered hawk, and 

 loon. 



For the benefit of those who do not un- 

 derstand the process employed in the pro- 

 duction of these plates, it should be stated 

 that each figure is an actual photograph of 

 a bird, and so far as the form, details of 

 plumage, and light and dark color markings 

 are concerned, there can be no going be- 

 hind the returns. Wherever the form or 

 the pose of a bird is not quite perfect, the 

 fault lies with the taxidermist, not with the 

 camera. 



Viewed in its entirety, this volume is a 

 decided success, and in cost to the purchaser 

 it is a marvel of cheapness. It is sure to 

 be received gratefully by those for whom 

 it is intended, and many editions will be 

 worn out in the service of bird lovers. I 

 predict for it a greater degree of popularity 

 among sportsmen than any other bird book 

 has yet attained. Because of this expecta- 

 tion, I am especially gratified to find that 

 the introduction (by G. O. Shields) is an 

 earnest and powerful appeal for bird preser- 

 vation, creditable alike to its author and 

 the publishers, and an example well worthy 

 to be followed by a number of persons who 

 gain their livelihood from ornithological 

 work, but who thus far have been either 

 too short sighted or too indolent to lift a 

 hand to protect the birds of North America. 



" Birds that Hunt and are Hunted." By 

 Neltje Blanchan. Pp. 352. Royal octavo. 

 Forty-eight colored plates, each 6x8 inches. 

 Doubleday & McClure Company, New 

 York, 1898. Price, $2.50. 



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