May, 1916 
PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 
133 
which it stands to their official representa- 
tive on the Executive Committee, President 
Tracy I. Storer of the Northern Division. 
Mr. Storer adds the duties of the Secretary- 
Treasurership of the Associated Societies 
to a program already overfull; he will be 
bearing the brunt of whatever labor is per- 
formed; and in the performance of such 
labor, he will be giving effect to those words 
which stand among the objects of the Cooper 
Club itself: “For the conservation of birds 
and wild-life in general, for the sake of the 
future.” — Walter P. Taylor, Biological Sur- 
vey. Washington, D. C. 
PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 
Some Publications of the Bureau of 
Biological Survey during 1915. 
Under the title “Some common birds use- 
ful to the farmer” 1 Professor Beal presents 
a bulletin of general information concern- 
ing the relation of our commonest land 
birds to the agricultural interests. While 
superseding Farmers Bulletin no. 54, a pub- 
lication along similar lines of which up- 
wards of half a million copies were dis- 
tributed, the present paper is somewhat dif- 
ferent in style. It is rather broader in 
treatment, giving more of distribution and 
general habits, and less of detail concerning 
food habits. It is to be hoped that this 
paper will do as much good as its prede- 
cessor did in arousing interest and spread- 
ing information concerning the value of our 
native birds. 
During the summer of 1914 the Biological 
Survey, assisted by about two hundred vol- 
untary observers, took a “Preliminary cen- 
sus of the birds of the United States” 2 
by means of sample censuses in different 
parts of the country. The number of re- 
ports was entirely too small and they were 
unevenly distributed; nevertheless the re- 
ports as compiled by Professor Cooke are 
very interesting. From the relatively 
larger numbers of birds reported as nesting 
about dwellings and in cultivated areas, the 
author surmises that the bird population of 
the country as a whole could be consider- 
ably increased through a wider extension of 
protection, and by various other means. 
'Some common birds useful to the farmer. 
By F. E. L. Beal. U. S. Dept. Agric., Farmers’ 
Bull. 630, pp. 1-27, 23 figs, in text. Issued 
Feb. 13, 1915. 
"Preliminary census ot the birds of the 
United States. By W. W. Cooke. U. S. Dept. 
Agric., Bull. 187, pp. 1-11. Issued Feb. 11, 
1915. 
Mr. McAtee has now published three 
papers dealing with food plants suitable for 
attracting ducks and other Anatidae. His 
present contribution' discusses eleven ad- 
ditional groups of water plants of which 
representatives have been found in duck 
stomachs. Brief accounts of the life his- 
tories and habits of these plants are given, 
as also instructions for collecting and trans- 
porting them. 
For several years Great Salt Lake, Utah, 
has been the seat of a duck disease similar 
to that reported by Clarke (Condor, xv, 1913, 
pp. 214-226) from a California locality. In 
the summer of 1914 Mr. Wetmore investi- 
gated conditions at the lake and later 
studied the situation at Tulare and Owens 
lakes in California. His report 4 gives a 
brief history of the disease at and about 
Great Salt Lake and an account of the in- 
vestigation. He discusses the various 
theories which have been put forth to ex- 
plain the malady, and the means which 
have been found useful in its control and 
prevention. An abundance of fresh water 
seems to be the most efficient agent. 
Professor Beal’s two papers on the food 
habits of the Robins and Bluebirds 3 , and 
of the Thrushes” together give us a con- 
cise yet authoritative account of the food 
of all members of the thrush family (Tur- 
didae) occurring in North America north of 
Mexico. 
As a group these birds are found to be 
mixed feeders, taking both animal and 
vegetable materials, but not always in the 
same proportions. The robins and the 
Townsend Solitaire are predominantly 
vegetarian in their food preferences, the 
latter being notably a berry feeder, while 
the former in times of scarcity of wild food 
is found to take considerable quantities of 
cultivated fruit, as for example olives. The 
thrushes (genus Hylocichla ) and the blue- 
birds, include a much larger proportion of 
animal material in their food. This is 
"Eleven important wild duck foods. By 
W. L. McAtee. U. S. Dept. Agric., Bull. 205, 
pp. 1-25, 23 figs, in text. Issued May 20, 
1915. 
'Mortality among waterfowl around Great 
Salt Lake, Utah. By Alex Wetmore. U. S. 
Dept. Agric., Bull. 217, pp. 1-10, pis. I-III. 
Issued May 26, 1915. 
“Food of the robins and bluebirds of the 
United States. By F. E. L. Beal. U. S. Dept. 
Agric., Bull. 171, pp. *1-31, 2 figs, in text. 
Issued Feb. 5, 1915. 
“Food habits of the thrushes of the United 
States. By F. E. L. Beal. U. S. Dept. Agric., 
Bull. 280, pp. 1-23, 2 figs, in text. Issued 
Sept. 27, 1915. 
