BIRDS OF THE ANTARCTIC AND SUB- 
ANTARCTIC 
By George E. Watson 
American Geophysical Union, Washington, 
D.C. 
1975, 350 pp., 11 color plates, many maps 
and line drawings, $15.00. 
This field guide provides a wealth of infor- 
mation on a fairly small number of species, 
some of which are little known. The species 
accounts detail identification points, habits, 
voice, display, food, reproduction, molt, pre- 
dation, mortality, habitat and distribution, 
often including a map. The color plates illus- 
trate about seventy species and are small but 
with good detail. Most birds are shown in all 
plumages. Since the land area is limited in the 
region covered, the various islands are de- 
scribed and tables indicate the species found 
on each. The book is ‘‘standard’’ field guide 
size and would certainly be a must for anyone 
visiting the southern regions. 
—=Peter C. Petersen 
BIRDING IN EASTERN IOWA 
By Frederick W. and Thomas H. Kent 
Published by the authors 
1975, 150 pp., 136 b-w photographs, pa- 
perbound, $7.50. 
This book is a labor of requited love. Fred 
Kent, dean of eastern Iowa birders, and his 
son, Tom, have compiled a unique monument 
to “‘locality birding’’. Usually .together and 
often accompanied by other birders, they have 
made over 4000 trips to places in or near Iowa 
City, missing only one month in 25 years. 
Within this area they have recorded 270 spe- 
cies, over 203 per year on the average. Com- 
puter printouts show the weekly observations 
for all regularly occurring species, except 
abundant permanent residents. Brief notes 
give the status of each species, estimates of 
abundance, the general periods of presence for 
migrants, and, where relevant, the specific 
habitats of occurrence. For rare, casual or 
accidental species, exact dates of observations 
are usually provided. This patiently compiled 
account is, because of the long period it en- 
compasses, a historical document of birds in 
eastern Iowa. 
Fred Kent, in the course of 25 years of 
birding, has documented several “‘firsts’’ for 
Iowa and is the most conservative of birders. 
The book is not marketed commercially, but 
can be obtained at cost from Dr. T. H. Kent, 
211 Richards, lowa City, lowa 52240 
—N. S. Halmi 
THE RAPE OF THE GREAT PLAINS 
By K. Ross Toole 
Atlantic-Little Brown, Boston, 1976 
271 pp., $8.95. 
Do coal companies have the right to strip 
mine the Northern Great Plains? K. Ross 
Toole, a professor of history at the University 
of Montana, presents a very convincing ar- 
gument that they do not. The fact that strip 
mining is immoral and inexcusable is seen in 
the destruction of land, farms, ranches, 
dreams, and our national heritage. 
Toole effectively traces the history of Great 
Plains and explains its role. He tells of the 
Indians and how they were abused, of the 
impractical laws enacted by an eastern Con- 
gress, and of the topography of the land. 
Issues such as reclamation, water use, trans- 
mission lines, and human impact are explained 
in clear, concise terms with few statistics. 
Toole goes further by telling why the mining 
of western coal is unnecessary and why the 
so-called ‘‘low sulfur western coal’’ is a myth. 
The Rape of the Great Plains is a plea to 
the American public to halt this senseless 
waste and to prevent the Great Plains from 
becoming a ‘‘National Sacrifice Area.”’ 
—Joe Taylor 
HANDBOOK OF NORTH AMERICAN 
BIRDS (WATERFOWL) 
Edited by Ralph S. Palmer 
Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn. 
1976, 1041 pp., illustrated, two volumes: 
$30 each. 
In these two encyclopedic volumes, various 
experts synthesize a great deal of what is 
known about the morphology, physiology, and 
life cycles of swans, geese, and ducks. When a 
species occurs in places other than North 
America, additional information from the total 
range is included. 
The principal goal of the authors is to pro- 
vide diagnostic information on each species, 
including both sexes at all ages and in all 
seasons. After that, the physical appearance 
of the sexes in their definitive feathering is 
described. Then the earlier stages from hatch- 
ing up to adulthood are detailed. Geographic 
variation and hybrids are discussed. 
Each account includes sections on field 
identification, voice, habitat, distribution, mi- 
gration, reproduction, survival, habits, and 
food preferences. 
—Lonnie Williamson 
