May, 1912 
PUBLICATIONS R]JVIK\VP:I') 
111 
our agricultural experiment stations. Doubt- 
less many of them, if measured l)y the amount 
of reading they receive, are hardly worth the 
paper they are written upon. But often among 
them appears a paper, and not uncommonly 
one more popular than scientific, which fills a 
certain need and therefore finds a wide use. 
Before the reviewer is a pamphlet entitled 
“The Economic Value of Bird Life,’’ by Rich- 
ard H. Sullivan and published by the Kansas 
State Agricultural College. Although largely 
a compilation of facts taken from other auth- 
ors, yet we believe it meets a need and for 
this reason will find wide use. 
The interest shown by the average farmer 
as regards a knowledge of the food habits of 
the common birds is seldom realized. The 
exhibit which has probably attracted the most 
interest ami attention on the Agricultural 
Train here in California the last two years, 
has been one attempting to show the relation 
of native birds and mammals to agriculture. 
And in spite of the excellent work on Califor- 
nia birds published by the Lh S. Biological 
Survey, there has been a constant demand for 
a knowledge of the food habits of the com- 
mon birds and especially for a handljook giv- 
ing the identification and food habits of the 
common birds. 
“The Economic Value of Bird Life" fol- 
lows the usual order of papers of its kind, 
first dealing with bird life as checks on in- 
jurious insects and animals, and spending a 
whole chapter on the importance of insect 
pests on account of their enormous repro- 
ductive power, their remarkable food require- 
ment, and the great economic losses caused 
by their depredations. The chapter on “Deci- 
mation of Bird Life and Its Consequences" 
places before the reader the stock examples 
of the increase of insect pests concomitant 
with a wholesale destruction of their bird 
enemies. A few local notes regarding the 
food habits of certain common birds of the 
state emphasizes the limitations of the paper 
and brings to the mind of the reviewer the 
importance of intensive study of the food 
habits of birds under local conditions; for the 
well known variation of the kind of food ac- 
cording to the available supply demands this. 
The evidence furnished by the writer appears 
to be almost too overwhelming!}' in favor of 
the birds. An impartial presentation of facts, 
furnishing the reader with the bad points as 
well as the good, often gains the confidence 
of a man who otherwise might be antagonized 
l)y the one-sided view. 
Although the paper in hand cannot be con- 
sidered a valuable contribution to scientific 
literature, yet it doubtless fills a popular need 
and so proves its worth. And even though it 
looks very diminutive and unimportant be- 
side the elaborate work issued by the State of 
Massachusetts, h'orbush’s “Useful Birds and 
Their Protection", yet other states can well 
profit by the spirit of "I'he Economic Value 
of Bird Life”, and by issuing even such an 
unassuming publication, fill an important need, 
— H, C. Bryant. 
iMINUTES OF COOPER CLUB 
MEETINGS 
SOUTHERN DIVISION 
February. — The f'cliruary meeting of the 
Southern Division of the Cooper Ornitho- 
logical Club was held on Thursday evening, 
February 29, 1912, in the office of H. J. Le- 
lande, 246 Wilcox Bldg., Los Angeles, with 
President Morcom in the chair and the fol- 
lowing members present : Appleton, Cham- 
bers, John Lewis Childs, Dawson, Daggett. 
Gray, Hanna, Hubbs, Howard, Howell. Huey, 
Antonin Jay, Lamb, Miller, Robertson, Rich. 
Tracy, Willett, and Law. 
The minutes of the Southern Division for 
January were read and approved and the 
minutes of the Northern Division for Febru- 
ary were read. 
On motion by Mr. Robertson, seconded liy 
Mr. Willett, and duly carried, the Secretary 
was instructed to cast the unanimous ballot of 
those present electing to active membership, 
Messrs. Chester Stock, Harry S. Hathaway, 
and Clarence H. Kennedy, nomin.ated at pre- 
vious meeting. 
Applications were presented as follows : 
Wm. R. Flint, Throop Polytechnic Inst., Pasa- 
dena, Cal., proposed by A. B. Howell; Anna 
Head, 2730 Belrose Ave., Berkeley, Cal., pro- 
posed by J. Grinnell ; Mrs. Harriet Williams 
Myers, 306 Ave. 66. Los Angeles, Cal., pro- 
posed by W. L. Dawson ; Geo. E. Stone, Vet. 
Sci. Bldg., U. of C., Berkeley, Cal., proposed 
by W. P. Taylor; Margaret W. Wythe, 4231 
'I'errace St., Oakland, Cal., proposed by H. C. 
Bryant. 
On motion by Mr. Willett, seconded by Mr. 
Howard, and duly carried, the Secretary was 
instructed to cast the unanimous ballot of 
those present confirming nominations made 
by the officers of both Divisions, for Editor. 
J. Grinnell, for Business Managers, J. Eugene 
Law and W. Lee Chambers. 
On motion by Air. Robertson, seconded In- 
Dr. Rich, and duly carried, the Southern 
Division approved the plan of the Business 
Managers to construct a small building at a 
minimum cost of approximately $30.00 on the 
rear of the property of W. Lee Chambers, for 
storage of the large accumulation of back 
