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38 THE CONDOR Vol. XIII Francisco fire of April, 1906, were all destroyed. But some of the field notes of this period are included in the present paper along with those resulting from the work in subsequent years. The present paper is t)ased primarily on Beck's field} observations; but critical notes on tile large series of specimens secured since the fire are often added, anti for these Loomis and Gifford, of the Acmlemy's curatorial.staff, are evidently largely responsible. The paper under consideration is couched in excellent form, literarily anti typographically, practically ideal in the latter respect, a rather rare thing in this day of hurriedly proof-read publications. The great value in the paper lies in the large addition to our knowledge of the seasonal occurrence of the speoies dealt with, especially the Jaegers, Gulls, Terns. and Shearwaters. One species is newly recorded not only for California but for the American side of the Pacific, namely the 1?lesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes), of which Beck has taken no less than ten specimens, from 1903 to 1907. Of PuJ?'nus bulleri, of which only one example was previously known from Califor- nian waters, ten more specimens have been secured, all in the fall. Of the Skua (A?[egales- lris skua) a second specimen for California is recorded. A number of species previously thought to be of but casual occurrence along the Californian coast, have been fouml by B?qk to occur regularly in large nnmbers. Only concentrated and lqng-continued work, such as this has been, can be expected to yiehl a knowledge of the true status of any pelagic avifauna. The reader of the paper in hand is at once impressed with the uniform occurrence of cer- tain usages at variance with ruling custom among American ornithologists. Trinomials are tabooed; but instead of treating al ! forms (both small-species and remotelydivergent specl, es) as binomials, all of the small-species or sub- species (evidently forms which are found to inter- grade in any way) are lmnped under a binomial, the earliest nomenclaturally appropriate name being employed. Thus our California Murre is just Murre, Uria lroille; the Pacific Kittiwake is just Kittiwake, ]fissa tridaclyla; etc. This does not appear to be an advantageous move in the interests of a better knowledge either of the ranges or of the migration-routes of birds. The recognition of even the smallest geographic variants is essential. This was emphasized by Stejneger many years ago (Birds of tVamls- chalka, 1885, p. 348), and the principle hohts with increasing force. Theircadet must recognize the peculiar usage above referred to, in weighing such records as that of "Ereuncles pusillus" for California, which is given as including ]?. rnauri. The implication is that intergrades have been fonnd between E. pusillus and E. mauri; but no data is presented in this regard. In the same way, Fulmarus rod?.ersi is lmnped under F. g'lacialis. I)oubt is cast upon the validity of ltrachyram- . phus craverii as distinct from B. hypoleucus. . ILarus brachyrhynchus is combined with Larus canus; that is, tile separate existence of a species brachyrhynchus is denied. This is at variance with the idea of Bishop (CONDOR XII, 1910, 174) that previous records of arus canus for California shouhl probably be referred to Larus delawarensis. It wouhl of course have been of enormous in- terest and value if the data substantiatory of the above conclusions had been presented. However, the reader of the paper under review is left with th? feeling that this is but a pre- liminary report, and that extended critical treatment may be expected to follow in due course. Certainly' no ornithologists in the country are in a more fortunate position for the handling of problems of this sort than the persons connected with the California Acade- my of Sciences, whose Museum contains at the present time with little doubt the finest collec- tion of water birds in America.--J. GRINNELL. METHODS OF ATTRACTING BIRDS. By GIL- BERT H. TRAFTON; with thirty-nine illustra- tions (twenty-four of theli? from photographs) and a chart of fruits eaten by birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, September 1910, pp. xv+ 164; price $1.25 net. This book, published under the auspices of the National Association of Audubon Societies, "has been written from two view-points, that of birds anti that of hnman beings; for the protection of the former anti the pleasure of the latter." It is written by the Supervisor of Nature- Study, Passaic, N.J., aud gives beside his owu experience, the results of many observers, thus summarizing very completely the work beiug done throughout the country. An appendix gives a list of ninety-one to whose contribu- tions the author has had access, or who have furnished information through personal cor- respondence. The practical value of the book in nature- study in the schools shouhl be great; for the methods given ha?e thus had the test of expe- rience. A statement of the results obtained makes them the more valuable. The chapters deal with the ne&d anti value of attractlug birds; nesting houses; attracting the winter birds; drinking and bathing fonntains; planting lrees, shrubs, and vines; bird-protec- tion in schools, anti bird photography. Special drawings bring out tietails of plans and constructions presented. The methods given would seem to'be well calculated to attain the results desired in the Andubon movement, by inculcating a love for