28 DHE, AUDUBON BU bora 
a magic-word-luxury we shall have to forego. Then the author gives u 
this impelling injunction, “We not only SHOULD stop; we MUST stop! 
—R. M. Barro 
BIRDS OF SOUTH VIETNAM. By Philip Wildash. Charles E. Tuttle an 
Co., Rutland, Vermont. 1968. $7.50. 234 pages Color Plates. 
The British have had a long and honorable interest in ornithology. It come 
as no real surprise that this book should be written by a member of th 
British Foreign Office who has been stationed in Saigon for two year: 
Philip Wildash is a member of several ornithological groups, including on 
in Vietnam. Considering the recent turbulent history of the country, i 
does come as a surprise that it should be written at all. 
While not a field guide, it can prove useful to any visitor considerin 
travel to the Far East. Many of the birds described in the book are als 
found in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. As can b 
readily deduced, there are very few books on ornithology in the Far Eas 
The classic reference by Delacour and Jabouille, “The Birds of Frence 
Indo-China,” was last published in 1931. Reference is made by Wildash t 
the habits, distribution and identification of each species. Opposite eac 
color plate is the common and scientific name of each bird, with a furthe 
reference to a “list number” wherein the reader may find the previou 
description of the bird. It is a useful device, but the color plates are reall 
not adequate. 
It is unfortunate that since Vietnam has been under virtual siege fo 
two generations, with intense damage caused by military operations, the 
no comment was made anywhere in the book on the grave ecologic 
damage done to this tiny country. Perhaps that task must await unde 
time and another writer. —Raymond Mosie 
DECOYS AND DECOY CARVERS OF ILLINOIS, by Parmalee and Loomi: 
Northern Illinois University Press. DeKalb, Ill. 1969. 506 pages. Illustratec 
What a fascinating choice of subject matter for a book. In these days ¢ 
gloom and despair about pollution, population and the Pentagon, Pat 
Parmalee and Forrest Loomis have chosen to take us back to another er: 
as they examine the art of decoy carving and the masters and artists wh 
contributed their skills to this folk art. 
The book is limited to Illinois carvers and their works. This limitatio 
has nevertheless produced a weighty volume: Curiosity led us to th 
scale—it weighed a fraction less than four pounds! The art of carving an 
painting realistic and accurate hunting decoys lasted a period of 70 year 
from about 1870 to 1940. The works of the individual artists were unever 
Where some did an excellent job of carving, the painting was unsatisfactory} 
In some cases, the indicated species is hardly recognizable. Whereas, som 
artists contributed hugely to decoy production, others were satisfied wit 
a limited number. 
The authors present an astonishing picture of the abundance of wild 
life in Illinois before the turn of the century. They point out: “Probabl 
more devastation was suffered by Illinois wildlife in the late 1880s an‘ 
