deren WOU BrOsNe B UCi hk ET IN 20 
Eastern and Western species overlap broadly, but the birds do not inter- 
breed, 
The popularity of the Western Meadowlark is attested by the fact that 
it is the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, 
and Wyoming. 
929 Brummel Street, Evanston, Illinois 
f ft ft 
BOOK REVIEWS 
Birp Stupy, by Andrew J. Berger, Ph.D. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. 440 
Park Avenue South, New York 16, N.Y. June 1961, 387 pp., 11 chap., 
178 illus., cloth-bound. $9.00. 
Our first reaction upon seeing the title of this volume was: “How could 
anyone presume to cover such a complex subject as “Bird Study” in a 
volume of this size?” As Dr. Berger points out in his preface: “Bird Study 
has been written to serve as the basis for a one-semester course in ornitholo- 
gy for liberal arts students.” In this sense, the book succeeds admirably in 
providing the essential facts and disciplines required for serious bird study 
and in giving the reader a frame upon which he can build a superstructure 
of ornithological knowledge as he wishes. 
Bird Study is a textbook which relates the basic facts of bird science so 
well that the student will continue reading because the subject whets his 
interest. The amateur birder who has had little instruction in ornithology 
at the college level will find that this book can fill in the gaps in his formal 
education. While the advanced bird student or professional biologist will 
also find much of value, he would probably obtain more satisfaction from 
Fundamentals of Ornithology (see the Audubon Bulletin, No. 111, Sept. 
1959, p. 16), which Dr. Berger completed following the death of Dr. Jos- 
selyn Van Tyne. 
The present book covers the many fields of interest which concern any 
modern bird student: anatomy, paleontology, plumage, field identification, 
bird song, behavior, habitat, migration, navigation, courtship, nest building, 
eggs and young, structure and function, taxonomy, nomenclature, and con- 
servation. The chapter on ‘‘Conservation” summarizes many current prob- 
lems of preserving water and land for its natural and wildlife values. The 
author reviews the misuse of pesticides and urges greater efforts to teach 
everyone the need for conservation before our resources have been damaged 
beyond repair. Bird Study skims over the entire surface of our knowledge 
of birds and at the same time prepares us to plunge deeper. 
Paul H. Lobik, 22W681 Tamarack Drive, Glen Ellyn, Ill. 
NATURE’S YEAR, by John Hay. Illustrated by David Grose. Doubleday & Co., 
Garden City, New York. 1961. 199 pp. $4.50. 
The natural history events occurring during the seasons at Cape Cod are 
expertly presented in this poetic work. Beginning with July and progressing 
to June, the author has presented his observations of development, survival, 
and decline in nature. The author’s flowing form of presentation has re- 
sulted in a work that will hold the reader until the book has been completed. 
The numerous sections in the book depicting animal behavior and relation- 
ships will enhance its worth to the naturalist. 
William E. Southern, Dent. of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb 
