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May, 1916 PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 133 which it stands to their official representa- tive on the Executive Committee, President Tracy I. Storer of the Northern Division. Mr. Storer adds the duties of the Secretary- Treasurership of the Associated Societies to a program already overfull; he will be bearing the brunt of whatever labor is per- formed; and in the performance of such labor, he will be giving effect to those words which stand among the objects of the Cooper Club itself: "For the conservation of birds and wild-life in general, for the sake of the future."--W?TER P. TAYr.0R, Biological Sur- vey, Washington, D.C. PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED SO,rE PUBLICAT?O.?S OF THE BtYRE?U or BIOLOGICAL SURVEY DURING 1915. Under the title "Some common birds use- ful to the farmer'" Professor Beal presents a bulletin of general information concern- ing the relation of our commonest land birds to the agricultural interests. While superseding Farmers Bulletin no. 54, a pub- lication along similar lines of which up- wards of half a million copies were dis- tributed, the present paper is somewhat dif- ferent in style. It is rather broader in treatment, giving more of distribution and general habits, and less of detail concerning food habits. It is to be hoped that this paper will do as much good as its prede- cessor did in arousing interest and spread- ing information concerning the value o3 our native birds. During the summer of 1914 the Biological Survey, assisted by about two hundred vol- untary observers, took a "Preliminary cen- sus of the birds of the United States "? by means of sample censuses in different parts of the country. The number of re- ports was entirely too small and they were unevenly distributed; nevertheless the re- ports as compiled by Professor Cooke are very interesting. From the relatively larger numbers of birds reported as nesting about dwellings and in cultivated areas, the author surmises that the bird population of the country as a whole could be consider- ably increased through a wider extension of protection, and by various other means. 'Some common birds useful to the farmer. By F. E. L. Beal. U.S. Dept. Agric., Farmers' Bull. 630, pp. 1-27, 23 figs. in text. Issued Feb. 13, 1915. 2Preliminary census ot the birds of the United States. By W. W. Cooke. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bull. 187, pp. 1-11. Issued Feb. 11, 1915. Mr. McAtee has now published three papers dealing with food plants suitable for attracting ducks and other Anatidae. His present contribution s discusses eleven ad- ditional groups of water plants of which representatives have been found in duck stomachs. Brief accounts of the life his- tories and habits of these plants are given, as also instructions for collecting and trans- porting them. For several years Great Salt Lake, Utah, has been the seat of a duck disease similar to that reported by Clarke (CoNDos, xv, 1913, pp. 214-226) from a California locality. In the summer of 1914 Mr. Wetmore investi- gated conditions at the lake a?d later studied the situation at Tulare and Owens lakes in California. His report' gives a brief history of the disease at and about Great Salt Lake and an account of the in- vestigation. He discusses the various theories which have been put forth to ex- plain the maiady, and the means which have been found useful in its control and prevention. An abundance of fresh water seems to be the most efficient agent. Professor Beal's two papers on the food habits of the Robins and Bluebirds ?, and of the Thrushes 6 together give us a con- cise yet authoritative account of the food of all members of the thrush ramfly (Tur- didae) occurring in North America north of Mexico. As a group these birds are found to be mixed feeders, taking both animal ankl vegetable materials, but not always in the same proportions. The robins and the Townsend Solitaire are predominantly vegetarian in their 'food preferences, the latter being notably a berry feeder, while the former in times of scarcity of wild food is found to take considerable quantities of cultivated fruit, as for example olives. The thrushes (genus Hylocichla) and the blue- birds, include a much larger proportion of animal materiai in their food. This is 8Eleven important wild duck foods. By W. L. McAtee. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bull. 205, pp. 1-25, 23 figs. in text. Issued May 20, 1915. ?Mortality among waterfowl around Great Salt Lake, Utah. By Alex Wetmore. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bull. 217, pp. 1-10, pls. I-III. Issued May 26, 1915. ?Food of the robins and bluebirds of the United States. By F. E. r. Beal. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bull. 171, pp. 1-31, 2 figs. in text. Issued l?eb. 5, 1915. 6Food habits of the thrushes of the United States. By F. E. r. Beal. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bull. 280, pp. 1-23, 2 figs. in text. Issued Sept. 27, 1915.