By THeE AULD U BONS, B2U Ie Eiey es 
species, of which many are now extinct as far as that area is concerned. 
The 15 chapters include a selected bibliography of works by and about 
Thoreau, as well as extensive quotations from his essays on natural history 
and on his own expeditions. The book itself is beautifully printed, but there 
are some lapses in proofreading — such as the misspelling of ‘‘overbird” 
for ovenbird. 
Thoreau’s writings on birds have significance both as_ philosophical 
observations and as historical records. He devoted many paragraphs to his 
impressions of the song of the Wood Thrush, which he regarded as one of 
the richest in nature. (I had the pleasure of hearing a Wood Thrush beside 
Walden Pond when I paused briefly there about ten years ago, and I concur 
with his opinion.) Thoreau explains in detail how the men of Concord 
baited trees and spread nets to trap the flocks of Passenger Pigeons; in 
1878, some 20 years after Thoreau’s death, the last record of this species 
was reported for Concord, and only 36 years later, these birds were extinct. 
During my stay at the Maine Audubon Camp in 1955, I had the 
pleasure of meeting Mrs. Cruickshank, then one of the teaching staff, and 
talking with her at length while riding to nearby islands or walking about 
the camp, studying natural history. She impressed me as an accomplished 
naturalist and a brilliant scholar; her knowledge of living things was 
enormous. While on Hog Island I also met Dr. Millicent Todd Bingham, 
then in her seventies, who later donated the island to the National Audubon 
Society as a perpetual sanctuary. Dr. Bingham’s grandfather knew Thoreau 
well, and Mrs. Cruickshank acknowledges that her interest in Thoreau was 
aroused by Dr. Bingham’s enthusiasm for him as a naturalist and con- 
servationist. In this volume, the interest and enthusiasm have borne rich 
fruit. Helen Cruickshank is herself a writer of great ability; if you enjoy 
Thoreau’s style, you will enjoy hers even more. 
Paul H. Lobik, 22W681 Tamarack Drive, Glen Ellyn, Ill. 60137 
HONORARY OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 
Honorary Vice-President, MRS. MARGARET M. NICE, Chicago 
Honorary Vice-President, CHARLES O. DECKER, Evanston 
Honorary Vice-President, HARRY R. SMITH, Santa Cruz, Calif. 
Honorary Director, DR. RALPH E. YEATTER, Urbana 
Honorary Director, PAUL E. DOWNING, Highland Park 
Honorary Director, JOHN HELMER, Encinitas, Calif. 
