July, 1922 
which are widely scattered, often effectively 
hidden, in various publications other than 
the regular ornithological journals. 
Ornithological work we happen to know 
to be in progress relative to western North 
America includes the following: By Joseph 
Mailliard, further studies on the local mi- 
grations and distribution of birds in the 
northwest coast district of California; by 
Walter P. Taylor and Prof. W. T. Shaw, the 
distribution and habits of the birds of 
Washington; by Joseph Grinnell and Tracy 
I. Storer, the natural history of Yosemite 
birds; by Allan Brooks and Harry S. 
Swarth, the distribution and systematic 
status of the birds of British Columbia; by 
Donald R. Dickey and A. J. van Rossem, the 
systematic status of various birds of south- 
ern California; by J. Eugene Law, the birds 
of the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona; by 
Loye H. Miller, the fossil birds of the Mc- 
Kittrick asphalt deposits; by Joseph Grin- 
nell, the birds of Death Valley. 
An editorial in the Berkeley “Gazette’”’ for 
April 24, 1922, is so good, the points made 
appeal to us as so well taken, that we give 
the gist of it here. “The Department of 
Agriculture is now experimenting with vari- 
ous kinds of gas as a means of destroying 
noxious insects, mammals and birds. 
A test is to be made, probably with chlorine, 
on the destructive blackbirds of the Impe- 
rial Valley. The plan is to overwhelm them 
with a gas cloud at night while they are 
roosting in the marshes. Other plans con- 
template the slaughter of grasshoppers, lo- 
custs, etc., by similar clouds, used precisely 
as the gas was used against hostile armies. 
It is a hopeful adaptation of destructive 
weapons to constructive purpose, but one to 
be used with extreme caution. Aside from 
the danger to the wielder of the weapon, 
there is the same objection to gas in peace 
as in war—it is likely to kill noncombatants 
along with enemies. This is true alike of 
mammals, birds and insects. The gas may 
annihilate them all, the beneficent along 
with the rest, and often it is difficult to 
say in which class any particular creature 
belongs. Many a well-meant effort at rid- 
dance of a pest has brought a worse evil, by 
interfering ignorantly with the fine balance 
of nature. Any farmer contemplating a 
gas-cloud assault along his crop front had 
better wait until the experimenting has 
gone farther.” 
Everyone who has any sympathetic re- 
gard for the sport of bird photography 
should see the illustrated article by Robert 
B. Rockwell and Clark Blickensderfer, in 
Natural History (American Museum of 
Natural History, New York, xxI, 1921, pp. 
626-638). Remarkable success was won by 
- Manila 
EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 139 
these men in picturing the home life of the 
elusive Saw-whet Owl in the mountains of 
Colorado. The eighteen excellent photo- 
graphs published with the article betoken a 
degree of patience and skill that only a per- 
son who has made attempts along similar 
lines can fully appreciate. 
PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 
PHILIPPINE BIRDS FOR Boys AND GIRLS. By 
Richard C. McGregor and Elizabeth J. Mar- 
shall; with illustrations by Macario Ligaya. 
(Bureau of Printing), pp. 1-138, 
many plates (colored) and text figures. 
Thirty presumably common species of 
Philippine birds are treated in brief chap- 
ters, giving for each certain outstanding 
features of its life history. The book is 
written “for boys and girls’, as indicated 
by the title, and apparently for very small 
boys and girls. Brief appendices giving 
additional information regarding the birds 
described, and with references to bird lit- 
erature, will be valuable to teachers using 
the volume as a text book. This is a new 
departure for the senior author, in rather 
startling contrast to the technical articles 
with which we are used to associate his 
name. It brings to the mind one feature of 
a cartoon that appeared in Tur Connor of 
March, 1901.—H. S. Swarru. 
MINUTES OF COOPER CLUB MEETINGS 
NORTHERN DIVISION 
ApriL.—The regular meeting of the North- 
ern Division of the Cooper Ornithological 
Club was held at the Museum of Vertebrate 
Zoology on April 27, 1922, at 8 Pp. Mm. Presi- 
dent Swarth was in the chair, and the fol- 
lowing members were present: Mesdames Al- 
len, Bennet, Blake, Bogle, Culver, Daven- 
port, Flinn, Grinnell, Mead, Reygadas, 
Thomson and Van Gaasbeek; Messrs. Bell, 
Dixon, Evermann, Grinnell, Willard Grin- 
nell, Mailliard, Miller, Storer, Strong, Tor- 
rey and White. Among the visitors were 
Mrs. Evermann, Mr. and Mrs. Hagedoorn, 
Mrs. Thomson and Prof. Kingsley. 
After the reading and approval of the 
March minutes, the minutes of the Southern 
Division for February and March were read. 
Mr. Vernon L. Tenney, 2536 Etna Street, 
Berkeley, was proposed for membership by 
Dr. William F. Bade. 
Professor Kingsley then gave an account 
of naturalists he had known, using photo- 
graphs for illustrative material. Adjourned. 
—AMELIA S. ALLEN, Secretary. 
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