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More Book Reviews 
THE FALL OF THE SPARROW, by Jay Williams, Oxford University Press, 
115 Fifth Ave., New York, 1951, 158 pages, 
The title of the book is metaphorical; the sparrow is still with us, 
but many other birds and animals which once inhabited the earth during 
historical times are not, and Mr. Williams has listed many species, including 
several races of humans, which no longer exist, or are in great danger of 
extinction. Their life histories and the manner of their demise, apparently 
well-documented, are treated with a tinge of bitter humor, but are so 
highly informative that one wonders how the author gathered so much 
material. He quotes a description of the lyre bird which makes it seem 
worth a trip to Australia to witness. 
Mr. Williams discusses the probable events leading to the destruction 
of the unadaptable mastodon. In the case of the auk, the dodo and many 
others, he has gleaned the historical facts from numerous sources—a re- 
markable piece of research, remarkably well presented, and very readable. 
Dr. Alfred Lewy, 25 E. Washington Blvd., Chicago 
ri fl ft 
Crip, Come Home, by Ruth Thomas, 1952. Harper’s, New York City. 
175 pp, $2.50. A very charming book and at the same time a true one. 
It is the record of a crippled brown thrasher that lived for ten years 
in the author’s garden. Through close observations of her color-banded 
birds, her deep sympathy with birds and beasts and plants, and her skill 
in writing, Mrs. Thomas has given us a remarkable picture of nature on 
a hillside in central Arkansas, The pageant of the seasons — from ice 
and snow to lovely spring and then to summer drought, the charm of the 
many birds that enjoyed her bounty, the beauty of flowers, the appeal 
of little goats and dogs — all these we see and feel. We read of the 
personalities and histories of the thrashers that returned year after year, 
of courtships and territory battles, of ‘Crip’s devotion to mate and 
nestlings, of relations between mates, former mates and neighbors, of 
vicissitudes and victories. We learn that the brown thrasher is a highly 
intelligent bird, that each has a definite personality, and that this 
personality changes markedly from spring to fall. 
Crip, Come Home is a notable book, an important contribution to the 
study of bird behavior, as well as a work of art. It is a beautiful and 
touching memorial to the writer’s husband. 
Margaret M. Nice, 5725 Harper Avenue, Chicago 
