Communications 
189 
COMMUNICATIONS 
Taunton, Mass., Sept. 13, 1922. 
To the Editor of The Wilson Bulletin: 
Realizing that no one man can know all there is to know about all the 
birds and that the completeness of the Life Histories of North American 
Birds depends on the cooperation which the author receives from others, 
1 wish to make this report of progress and appeal to your readers for 
contributions, trusting that you will find the space to publish it at an 
early date. 
Two volumes have been published and the third, containing the 
Petrels and Pelicans and their Allies, is printed and should soon be out. 
The manuscript for the fourth volume, containing the Ducks, up to and 
including the Ring-necked Duck, is now in Washington in finished form 
and ready for publication. It is not too late to add to this, when I cor- 
rect the galley proof, any notes of importance on habits or distribution 
and not too late to substitute any particularly fine photographs for those 
that I have already selected. 
I am now at work on the fifth volume, which will contain the re- 
mainder of the Ducks and the Geese and Swans. I expect to finish this 
during the winter and send it to the publishers in the spring. The life 
histories are practically all written, subject to revision, but the photo- 
graphs have not been selected. 
I have no notes on the courtship of the American and White-winged 
Scoters or of any of the Geese, except the Canada, or any of the Swans 
or Tree Ducks. I have no nesting photographs of Harlequin Duck, Bar- 
row Goldeneye, any Geese except White-fronted and Canada, any Swans 
or any Tree Ducks. I should be glad to receive contributions of notes or 
photographs to fill in any of the gaps referred to above. Or I should be 
glad to correspond with anyone who has anything else to offer. I am, 
of course, well supplied with photographs illustrating nests, eggs and 
young of all the common species, but there are many gaps still to be 
filled. I am trying to read everything that is published on American 
birds, but I have no access to private notes, that have not been published, 
unless they are sent in as contributions. I shall soon begin work on the 
sixth volume, which will contain the Herons and Rails and their Allies. 
Contributions for this would be welcome at any time. Contributors will 
receive full credit for whatever material they send in and, if it is the 
material that I can use, their names will be placed on the mailing list 
to receive the volumes when published. 
Those who have seen the earlier volumes can understand what is 
wanted. Hoping for some generous cooperation, I am, 
Very truly yours, 
Taunton, Mass. 
A. C. Bent. 
