ilay, 1914 
I':ditorial NOTHS 
144 
and it will have to be far more cogent than 
any evidence heretofore put forth, before 
the advocates of the sale of game can be 
said to have proven their position as cham- 
pions of the poor man. There seem always 
to be more lazy men with money, who insist 
upon their right to eat game regardless of 
conservation, than there are vigorous men 
with guns who appreciate the game more 
for its recreative than for its food value, 
and who believe in careful conservation. 
Since the weight of practically all author- 
ity, governmental and scientific, is unequiv- 
ocally in favor of laws prohibiting the sale 
of game, and since non-sale laws have be- 
come popular as game laws the country 
over, it is anticipated that the people, if 
warned as to the significance of these meas- 
ures, will record their decision aright. The 
danger lies in the possibility that many vot- 
ers will not adequately understand the prop- 
ositions as they appear on the November 
ballot. Here lies the opportunity of all in- 
terested in the wild life. 
The Referendum holding up the law pro- 
hibiting the sale of ducks and wild pigeons, 
in addition to other game, stands, and will 
appear on the ballot in November. 
Efforts are now being made to place on 
the ballot an Initiative measure providing 
for the sale of deer, quail, trout, doves, 
ducks, grouse and other game. 
What are we going to do in behalf of Cal- 
fornia’s Wild Life? — Walter P. Taylor, 
Chairman ’Northern Division Committee on 
Conservation, C. 0. C. 
PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 
A Determination of the Economic Stat- 
us OF THE Western Meadowlark (Sturnella 
neglecta) in California. By Harold Child 
Bryant. (Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., vol. 11, 
no. 14, pp. 377-510, pis. 21-24, 5 text figs. 
Published February 27, 1914.) 
For some years past the Western Mea- 
dowlark has been a subject of contention in 
the California legislature, there having been 
several attempts, strongly supported, and as 
strongly opposed, to deprive the bird of its 
legal protection, leaving it subject to the 
onslaughts of the farmers who claimed that 
it was harmful, and of the hunters who 
wished to regard it as “game”. Mr. Bryant’s 
studies, carried on under the auspices of the 
California State Fish and Game Commis- 
sion, were designed to ascertain the truth 
or falsity of the many contradictory state- 
ments that have been made regarding the 
bird, primarily in order that the Commis- 
sion could shape its course intelligently in 
the future, in guiding any pertinent legis- 
lation. How thoroughly this work was done 
is shown in the published report here under 
consideration. 
There are but few species of birds that 
have been given as close and critical scru- 
tiny and study as has the subject of this 
paper, or that have had any one phase of 
their existence reported upon in such detail. 
The results here tabulated and commented 
upon obviously represent an immense 
amount of painstaking labor and observa- 
tion, and apparently leave little or nothing 
further to be said upon the subject. Many 
points in connection with the methods pur- 
sued are of decided interest, and in one re- 
gard at least, the author was exceptionally 
favored by the circumstances under which 
his studies were pursued. Working with 
the backing of the State Fish and Game 
Commission, he was enabled to call upon the 
entire force of wardens to supply him with 
material, hence he had the unusual advant- 
age of extensive series of specimens ob- 
tained from whatever points, and at what- 
ever seasons, seemed most desirable. This 
study, therefore, is noteworthy in that it 
is the result of observations on the food of 
a single species of bird, based on a large 
amount of material carefully and systemati- 
cally gathered at the same localities at reg- 
ular intervals throughout the year, many 
points within the state being represented in 
the collection. 
The paper throughout presents every evi- 
dence of careful and painstaking work, in- 
telligently directed, and Mr. Bryant’s con- 
clusions will probably be accepted unhesi- 
tatingly by every unbiased reader of his re- 
port. Of the methods used, examination of 
stomach contents is of primary importance, 
nearly two thousand Meadowlark stomachs 
having been subjected to scrutiny and ana- 
lysis in the course of the work; this sup- 
plemented by careful field observation of 
wild birds. Although experimentation with 
caged birds is mentioned as sometimes de- 
sirable, we do not understand that anything 
of the sort was attempted in the present 
study, the nearest approach being the obser- 
vation, weighing, etc., of nestlings. 
Altogether, to one who has not specialized 
on the food of birds, it would seem as 
though the author had approached his sub- 
ject from every possible angle, and had 
given due weight to every conflicting ele- 
ment, and due prominence to every differ- 
ent phase of the Meadowlark’s existence. 
His verdict is that the bird deserves the pro- 
tection at present accorded it, the damage 
done by the species being of small moment, 
at restricted localities, and for but a short 
period of the year, while the eating of in- 
sects goes on through ail the seasons. 
Although the paper is primarily concerned 
with the food of the Western Meadowlark, 
it also has much to say on related subjects, 
the introductory chapters containing many 
pages dealing with the different methods 
used in the study of economic ornithology, 
and with the evolution of the study. 
Of adverse criticism, but little suggests 
itself. The work evidently was most care- 
fully done, and the results presented accu- 
rately, and in a fair and unbiased manner. 
To the non-specialist, however, several 
questions are sure to suggest themselves. 
