ilooft jBtetD0 ant) 3^etoietD0 Everyday Birds. Elementary Studies by Bradford Torrey. With 12 illustra- tions in colors after Audubon and 2 from Photofjraphs. Boston and New York: Houghton, MifHin &c Co. 1901. lanio. 106 pages. Price, $1. Mr. Torrey here writes for young people of two dozen or more common birds and of some phases of bird-life in a manner, it seems to us, well adapted to claim the 'outhful observer's attention and to make him call for "more." At the best there is such a vast difference between the bird in the bush and the bird in the book that there is often danger too much of the latter may rob the child of his interest in the former, and one is thankful, therefore, when the birds find an interpreter as well equipped as Mr. Torrey. The illustrations, reproduced by the three- color process from Audubon's plates, are interesting and, as far as we can judge without direct comparison with the origi- nals, most of them seem to be surprisingly successful. — F. M. C. Haddom Hall Library. Bird Watching. By Edmund Selous. London: J. M. Dent & Co. 1901. [New York: The Macmillan Co. Price, I3.00.] 121110. xi + 347 pages; 6 full-page photograv- ures; numerous text cuts. The ideal student of birds In nature, or "bird watcher," as Mr. Selous terms him, must be a patient, conscientious, unpreju- diced and skilled observer, with a training which will tell him what are the essential things to be looked for and what is the significance of things seen, and, most im- portant of all, since without it science gains nothing from his labors, he must have the power to record his observations in such a manner that they become avail- able to others — a contribution to the store of human knowledge. To the ornithologist who aspires to reach this high standard we commend Mr. Selous' volume. Its author's methods of work, mode of reasoning and rare gift of descrip- tion make his book an addition to the literature of ornithology, as well as to that of general ecology, of unusual merit. While the range of his observations covers many phases of bird-life, he appears — and with good reason — to have been es- pecially attracted by the often remarkable actions of birds during the pairing season, and his observations on the subject of sex- ual selections are of peculiar value. Although Mr. Selous writes only of British birds, many of the water birds treated are found in this country ; but the matter of species is here a secondary con- sideration, and we call the attention of American readers to this book because we believe its perusal will be of real assistance to them in studying the habits of wild birds.— F. M. C. The Birds of Springfield and Vicinity. By Robert O. Morris. Henry R. John- son, Springfield, Mass. 1901. 8vo. 54 pages. I map. This list enumerates 254 species as known to occur within a radius of 25 miles of Springfield, exclusive of five species, which have been introduced. Only one of the latter (the House Sparrow, it is almost needless to say) continues to exist, Euro- pean Quail, Prairie Hens, Prairie Sharp- tailed Grouse and European Starlings having disappeared after their release. Of the latter it is said that about 100 were liberated in the spring of 1897. "Three of these were alive and well early the follow- ing spring, but since then I have not seen or heard of any of them" (p. 42) ; a rather surprising failure in view of the success which has attended the introduction of this species in New York city. 'l"he annotations duly credit the observa- tions of former observers, and the list is a welcome contribution to faunal literature. It is attractively printed, and we are par- ticularly glad to see that it is issued as a special publication, and is thus accessible to anv one desiring to secure it. — F. M. C. (176:
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