22 
THE CONDOR 
VOL. V 
Mississippi, and it has remained for Mrs. Bailey to supply the very pressing need in the west. 
The hook is in every way adequate and will certainly exert a very wholesome influence on bird- 
study in the west, no doubt stimulating to good work many who, heretofore for lack of proper 
literature, have felt their enthusiasm scarcely equal to the task of mastering our perplexing avi- 
fauna. I suppose there is scarcely a Cooper Club member who has not longed for a handy little 
volume to carry to the mountains or elsewhere during excursions afield. The “Handbook” will 
supply this want. 
The book opens with an essay by Vernon Bailey on “Collecting and Preparing Birds, Nests 
and Eggs,” which will prove very useful to the beginner. This is followed by sections on: 
“Note-taking, Note-books and Journals,” “Life Zones,” with chart; “Migration,” “Economic 
Ornithologv,” “Bird Protection” by T. S. Palmer, and “Local Lists,” giving lists of birds from 
Portland (A. W. Anthony); San Erancisco Bay (water birds, \V. H. Kobbe); Santa Clara Valley 
and Santa Cruz Mts. (land birds, \V. K. Eisher); Pasadena (J. Grinnell); Ft. Sherman, Idaho; 
Chevenne, Wvo.; Pinal, Pima and Gila Counties, Arizona. Following this conies “Books of Ref- 
erence,” including general works, jieriodicals, .state lists, special subjects and popular works. For 
the benefit of the beginner is a note on “Use of the Keys.” 
The systematic portion, which treats of species west of the one-hundreth meridian is divided 
into Water Birds and Land Birds, very clear and concise keys being given to the orders and fam- 
ilies of each. The line figures of feet and heads render the use of these keys especially easy. 
There are likewise genera and species keys in their proper places. Under each genus heading 
is given a short statement of general characters, and the accounts of species include a brief des- 
cription of plumages, together with a note on distribution, the description of nest and eggs, food, 
and in most cases a sketch of the habits and personality of the bird. Many of these biographical 
notes have been contributed by Vernon Bailey. The text is further embellished with figures of 
birds, and heads, from drawings, and from photographs of skins. It is unfortunate that the 
requirements of space necessitated an over-reduction of some of the illustrations, and thereby im- 
paired their usefulness. This is true of only a small portion. The task of finding a bird’s name 
has surely been reduced to a minimum. We believe it has again been demonstrated that the 
easiest way to identify a bird is to begin at the bottom, and to progress by using characters of 
real weight in classification. Many ultra- popular books have attempted to point out a royal road 
with grotesque keys, founded on superficial and “catch” characters, which, besides being totally 
inadequate, must have left the novice in a very hazy state of mind. 
In nomenclature the author has wisely conformed to the A. O. U. Check-list “except that 
modern scientific usage has been followed in dropping the possessive form in vernacular names of 
species.” In the rather difficult task of fitting the Check-list to our wesstern avifauna, she has 
been singularly .successful, largely by the sensible cour.se of including the many recently des- 
cribed forms in foot-notes, with references to the original description. With this equipment 
both ‘splitter’ and ‘lumper’ should feel equally at home with the “Handbook.” 
This .short notice would be eminently incomplete if mention were not made of the thirty-six 
well-executed full-page plates by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Especially worthy of praise are all of 
them, but we find it difficult to control our enthusiasm in the case of several, particularly the 
Northern Raven, which is herewith reprinted, thru the courtesy of the publishers. Mr. Fuertes 
work is always good, but we believe this about his best. 
It is difficult to do justice to a book of this character in so brief a space, and as we have al- 
readv given our candid opinion of it we would close by advising all readers of this magazine to 
procure a copy. — W.a.i.TER K. Fi.shER. 
The Bird.s of North and Middle America; A De.scriptive Catalogue of the High- 
er Group.s, [etc., 6 lines]. By Robert Ridgway. Part 11 . Family Tanagridee. — The Tana- 
gers. Familv Icteridse — The Troupials. Family CierebidiE — The Honey Creepers. Family Mnio- 
tiltidae — The Wood Warblers. Washington: [October] 1902. (=Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 50, 
Part H.) Pp. i-xx, 1-834, plates I-XXH. (Outline figures of generic characters). 
Part H of Ridgway ’s “Birds of North and Middle America” arrived on this coast in the latter 
part of October, a little less than a year after the first volume. Considering the immense amount 
of work involved it is still more surprising when we learn from the Preface that the remaining 
volumes are expected to go to press from now on “at the rate of two a year.” Even granting 
that Mr. Ridgway has been compiling the subject-matter for many years, one cannot help won- 
dering at the amount of work required alone in keeping the synonymies up to date, for we find 
references quoted well into 1902. 
The general plan of the whole work has already been referred to, in the Condor of January, 
1902. It happens that the pre.sent installment has mostly to do with tropical groups, including 
