132 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XV 
shades (mixtures with definite percentages of 
black), grading to white at the top and black 
at the bottom of each column. Every color 
has a name and also a symbol, consisting of 
a number and a letter, and the intermediates 
which do not appear on the plate have similar 
symbols. The color scheme is probably the 
simplest that can be devised for a really sci- 
entific arrangement, and seems to be eminent- 
ly satisfactory. The six fundamental spectrum 
colors which are here accepted as standards 
have been permanently fixed by the determina- 
tion of their wave lengths ; so that at any fu- 
ture time, should necessity demand, they can 
be exactly reproduced. These wave-lengths, 
as given, should, however, have been carried 
out to another decimal point, to correspond 
with the other wave-lengths with which they 
are compared. 
The first twelve plates contain the pure col- 
ors, i. e., the shades and tints of the thirty- 
six colors and hues into which the spectrum 
series is here divided. Twelve of the follow- 
ing fourteen plates reproduce the same series 
with the addition of 32 per cent of neutral 
gray; and the two interpolated plates, dis- 
tinguished by asterisks after the color numbers, 
have blue and blue violet colors with a slight- 
ly different percentage of gray. Plates XXVII 
to XXXVIII represent the colors of the first 
twelve plates with the addition of S8 per cent 
of neutral gray; and the remaining plates 
show three series, with respectively 77, 90, and 
95.5 per cent of neutral gray, but in these ev- 
ery other hue is omitted because too little 
different. On the last plate a series of neu- 
tral grays and one of carbon grays is also add- 
ed. Altogether 1115 named colors are repre- 
sented, not counting black and white, as 
against 198 in Mr. Ridgway’s original “No- 
menclature of Colors for Naturalists”. Fur- 
thermore, by the use also of intermediates, a 
total of 6506 colors can be designated. 
While “Color Standards and Color Nomen- 
clature” is primarily intended for naturalists 
such as botanists, entomologists, herpetologists, 
conchologists, ornithologists, mammalogists, 
and the like, it should prove valuable, as well, 
to manufacturers and merchants in various 
lines of business. 
It is not, we think, too much to say that 
this book is by far the most important con- 
tribution to the subject of color standardiza- 
tion that has ever seen light, and that its ap- 
pearance marks an epoch in color nomencla- 
ture. That it will soon prove indispensable to 
scientists generally, we have no doubt ; and its 
adoption will go far toward reforming the 
present unsatisfactory usage, and will bring 
nearer the millenium of clearness and definite- 
ness and uniformity in color names. — Harry 
C. ObErholsEr. 
Index to Papers Relating to the Food oe 
Birds in the Publications of the United 
States Department of Agriculture, 1885- 
1911. By W. L. McAtee (U. S. Dept, of 
Agric., Bureau Biol. Surv., Bull. 43, January 
9, 1913, pp. 1-69). 
The most recent publication of the United 
States Bureau of Biological Survey is an “In- 
dex to papers relating to the food of birds.” 
To the average reader this will doubtless 
prove an uninteresting bulletin and one which 
will soon find its way to a back shelf, there 
to remain untouched. To the teacher, to the 
student of birds, and to the research student, 
however, this bulletin will appeal and will soon 
become thumb worn. To one vrho continually 
searches for the index, which is too often lack- 
ing at the end of scientific books, the annotat- 
ed one at hand strongly appeals. 
With a little search, information which is 
interesting to everyone can be obtained. The 
introduction points out the fact that during 
the twenty-six and one-half years of the ex- 
istence of the Biological Survey there have 
been published 131 documents relating to the 
food of birds. Notes on the economic status 
of no fewer than 401 species of native birds 
and 59 species of foreign or introduced birds 
are to be found in these publications. A com- 
putation made by the reviewer shows that in 
the first 39 bulletins alone, over 2500 pages 
have been devoted almost exclusively to dis- 
cussions of the economic aspects of ornithol- 
ogy. 
When people become fully aware of the 
economic value of bird life there will certain- 
ly redound to the Biological Survey the cred- 
it of having insistently pointed out the inter- 
action existing between organisms, and the 
consequent importance of preserving our na- 
tive birds. A knowledge of the economic 
value of a bird assures its protection. As this 
value is largely dependent upon what the bird 
eats, the spreading broadcast of dependable 
evidence as to the food of birds is all im- 
portant as a means of assuring needed pro- 
tection for them. 
Many readers may also fail to appreciate the 
work of the author in the preparation of the 
index. Sixty-seven pages of index and anno- 
tated bibliography do not appear on the sur- 
face to represent a great amount of labor. 
However, compilation of this kind costs a 
great many long hours of tedious work and 
the proof-reading of this type of publication 
must be considered the most difficult next to 
that of tables. 
Mr. McAtee has given us a useful bulletin 
that will, at least, be appreciated by all those 
who have occasion to work in this field. — 
H. C. Bryant. 
