250 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. VIII, No. 3, 
New Books. 
American Birds is the title of a neat volume by William 
Lovell Finley, and published by Charles Scribner’s Sons. The 
illustrations are excellent and a score or more of species are 
treated in an attractive manner. 
Although the author has been pleased to give the volume a 
broad title, the second paragraph of the introduction explains 
his aims and purposes. After stating that it is his purpose to 
consider only a few representative birds he continues by saying 
that “each chapter represents a close and continued study with 
camera and notebook at the home of some bird or group of birds 
—a true life history of each species.” Such studies are com¬ 
mendable, for their appearance in print teaches one that there is 
much to learn about a species aside from its mere identification. 
“ Many of these studies were made in the West but in the list 
of birds treated an effort has been made to get a selection that is 
national in scope. In the popular mind a song sparrow is a song 
sparrow from ocean to ocean, yet scientificallv he represents over 
a dozen subspecies, according to the part of the country in which 
he lives. To the ordinary bird lover, however, a robin is the 
same east and west, and the same is true of the chickadee, flicker, 
wren, grosbeak, virqo, warbler, hawk and others dealt with in 
the following chapters.” 
The author easily may find those who differ with him on some 
of these assertions. How natural it is for the “popular mind” 
to be attracted by characters which distinguish species, and what 
a satisfaction is felt when one specifically identifies the bluejay 
for the first time by its blue color and distinct crest. 
Nesting methods, feeding habits, development of young and 
manv other phases of bird life are either discussed or figured. 
Mr. Finley has given us a vast amount of information about a 
number of species and has advanced a line of bird study which is 
sure to attract many future students.—J. S. H. 
Natural History Survey. 
A bill to provide for a Natural History Survey of Ohio has 
been introduced in the General Assembly by Mr. Crist of Del¬ 
aware Co. and is now in thre hands of the Finance Committee. 
This bill (House Bill No. 930) has the same provisions as the one 
introduced two years ago and a copy of which was published in a 
recent supplement of the Naturalist. All who are interested 
in its passage are requested to write at once to the members of 
their acquaintance or to the representatives of their home county 
urging prompt and favorable action. 
Date of Publication, January 25, 1908. 
