and eggs of birds, or upon similar representations of the birds in 

 other works of the kind, with the most pleasure. Illustrations of 

 the nests and eggs, however, are more rare and proportionally 

 more interesting. 



We have now in the twenty-one parts already issued, represen- 

 tations of the nests and eggs of the cedar bird, the wood pewee, 

 the cat bird, the orchard oriole, the kingbird, the red-wing black- 

 bird, the humming-bird and towhee bunting, or chewink.alsoof the 

 screech owl, the wild turkey, the tit, the auk, the killdeer plover, 

 the chimney bird, the crow blackbird and many others. In the 

 plate containing the humming-bird's nest and eggs, the male and 

 female birds are also represented, forming a very beautiful pic- 

 ture. The nest is made " of vegetable wool from the poplar and 

 oak, and is lined with a few small white feathers. Externally there 

 is a dense covering of bluish crustaceous lichens and brownish 

 oak tassels, which are held in position by saliva and strands of 

 spider's silk. It was placed upon a branch of the beech tree, at 

 an elevation of twenty feet from the ground. In height it mea- 

 sures one and three-fourth inches, in external diameter one and a 

 half. The width of the cavity is three-fourths of an inch, and 

 the depth about one-half." 



The nest of the towhee bunting, or chevvink, is described by 

 Mr. Gentry as always placed upon the ground, usually half cov- 

 ered and concealed by long grasses that surround it. The author 

 says, " When placed within a thicket, or on the borders of it, the 

 nest is either built in a depression of the ground, usually beneath 

 a bunch of grass, in a pile of old brush or faggots, or on a slight 

 prominence surrounded by tall, graceful ferns." 



The figures of the crow blackbird, Maryland yellow-throat, the 

 killdeer and the red-throated loon, are especially good. This 

 excellence is partly due to the skill of the able zoological artist 

 Edwin Sheppard. 



We take this opportunity to recommend this elegant work 

 for every library. 



