Sept, 1913 
PUBLICATIONS REAUEWED 
189 
Fifty Common Birds of Farm and Orch- 
ard. Prepared in the Bureau of Biological 
Survey. U. S. Dept. Agric., Farmers Bull., 
513, pp. 1-31, SO figs, in text. (Rec’d May 23, 
1913.) 
The object of the recent bulletin by mem- 
bers of the United States Biological Survey 
entitled “Fifty common birds of farm and 
orchard” is stated in the introduction to be 
“to serve the very practical purpose of enabl- 
ing our farmers and their boys and girls to 
identify the birds that frequent the farm and 
orchard”. Certainly this bulletin comes as 
near fulfilling this purpose as any yet pub- 
lished. 
The introduction is given over to a discus- 
sion of the relation of birds to insects and to 
methods of encouraging birds. Some addi- 
tional evidence to that already published, as 
to the capacity of birds’ stomachs, is to be 
noted. The record of 72,000 seeds found in 
the stomach of a single duck taken in Louisi- 
ana in February is particularly noteworthy. 
Under a discussion of bird enemies there is 
an arraignment of the house cat, the first 
conspicuous one we have noticed in any pub- 
lication of the Biological Survey. 
The text treatment is brief and made up 
of an account of the size, range, habits and 
economic status of the fifty common species. 
Constant reference to Farmers Bulletins and 
Biological Survey Bulletins treating more 
fully of the birds under discussion are given. 
The most conspicuous feature of the ac- 
counts, as well as the most conspicuous thing 
about the whole bulletin, is the small colored 
illustration of each species. These excellent 
likenesses were executed from nature by the 
well-known bird artist, Louis Agassiz Fuertes. 
To the average citizen or person interested 
ill birds this bulletin will appeal more than 
any other in the series ; for in the identifica- 
tion of birds it is on illustrations rather than 
on technical descriptions that ordinary people 
depend. To see a bird in the field and then 
attempt to find its description in a book is 
difficult enough for the student and is seldom 
undertaken by the uninitiated. To sec a bird 
in the field and find its description by com- 
paring it with a good colored illustration is 
within the range of anyone’s accomplishment. 
Hence this bulletin furnishes a useable 
handbook for the common run of people in- 
terested in the subject. As this type of bul- 
letin is too expensive for individuals, and 
usually too expensive for state departments 
to attempt, the United States Department of 
Agriculture is to be complimented all the 
more on the score of having produced a work 
which there is little possibility of duplicating. — 
H. C. Bryant. 
MINUTES OF COOPER CLUB MEETINGS 
SOUTHERN DIVISION 
July. — The regular monthly meeting of the 
Southern Division was held at the Museum of 
History, Science and Art, Thursday evening, 
July 31, with President Law in the chair and 
the following members present : Messrs. Dag- 
gett, Fitzpatrick, Law, Layne, Rankin, Rich, 
Storer, Van Rossem, and Swarth. Mr. H. A. 
Edwards was a visitor. The minutes of the 
June meeting were read and approved, fol- 
lowed by the reading of the Northern Divi- 
sion minutes for May. The name of Mr. Fred 
H. Carruthers was proposed for membership 
by W. Lee Chambers. There being no further 
business the remainder of the evening was de- 
voted to an inspection of the Museum, and to 
hearing the informal reports of such members 
as had been engaged in field work during the 
past few months. Adjourned. — H. S. Swarth, 
Secretary. 
August. — The monthly meeting of the 
Southern Division was held at the Museum 
of History, Science and Art, Thursday even- 
ing, August 28, with the following attend- 
ants ; President Law in the chair, and Messrs. 
Cookman, Daggett, Howell, Hubbs, Kimball, 
Rich, Van Rossem, Zahn, and Swarth. Mr. 
H. A. Edwards was a visitor. The minutes 
of the July meeting were read and approved. 
One new member was elected, Mr. Fred H. Car- 
ruthers, proposed by W. Lee Chambers. Three 
new names were presented : Mr. Guy Love, 
Oberlin, Kansas, proposed by H. W. Car- 
riger ; Mr. L. Brooks, New Bedford, Mass., 
by W. Lee Chambers; and Mr. Paul L. Radir, 
Los Angeles, by H. S. Swarth. 
The secretary read a paper entitled “An 
Account of the Mallard Duck as Occurring 
in California,” by J. Grinnell and H. C. 
Bryant, this being a sample chapter of a 
work now in progress liy the authors dealing 
with the game birds of the state. 
Mr. Kimball exhibited some skins of hum- 
mingbirds from Colima, Mexico, together 
with a few other Mexican birds. Adjourned. 
— H. S. Swarth, Secretary. 
September. — The regular monthly meeting 
of the Southern Division was held at the 
residence of Dr. L. H. Miller, Sunday af- 
ternoon, September 28, with the following 
attendance : President Law in the chair, and 
Messrs. Chambers, Daggett, Esterly, Grey, 
Layne, Miller, Rich, Van Rossem, Welch, 
Wood, and Swarth, and Mrs. Harriet Wil- 
liams Meyers. Those present other than 
members were Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Chambers, 
Mrs. Esterly and Miss Van Deusen, and 
Messrs. J. W. Eggleston and H. A. Edwards. 
The minutes of the August meeting were 
read and approved. New members were elected 
