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152 THE CONDOR Vol. XVI GAME BIRDS AND GA3IE FISHES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. ILLIJSTRATED WITH HALF TONES FRO3? PHOTOORAPHS OF LIVE AND CARE- FLrLLY MOUNTED BIRDS AND FISHES. By H. T. Payne. News Publishing Company, Los Angeles, California. Pp. 186, 67 full-page illustrations. "Copyrighted 1913"; our copy received January 21, 1914. Under this title has recently appeared a small 'book by a well-known sportsman of Los Angeles, H. T. Payne. In his introduc- tion Mr. Payne states that "unlike most works treating of the birds and fishes, this one is 'written from the standpoint of the practical sportsman and angler, rather than for the student of ornithology or ichthyol- ogy." Even with this excuse it is doubtful if the sportsman reader will overlook a num- ber of things which certainly "jar" the stu- dent of birds. First, however, let us enum- erate some of the commendable features of the book. The frontispiece is a drawing of a duck with all parts labeled, together with a cor- ner drawing illustrating the different meas- urements usually taken. The author has therefore been careful' to use the type of bird about which the book largely treats rather than using the outline drawing of a song bird so often employed for this pur- pose. The text is divided into two parts: "The game birds of the Pacific coast", and "The game fishes of the Pacific coast". The birds occupy the greater part of the book. Under each species heading is given two or three paragraphs on the distribution and habits of the species followed by the sub- headings: color, nest and eggs, measure- ments. Occasional, personal hunting notes, and suggestions as to methods in hunting, are also to be found. Tables giving the scientific name, common name, range, and breeding grounds are appended "for ready reference". The illustrations are photogra9hic repro- ductions of stuffed specimens with a painted-lb background. This type of illus- tration distresses the eye when we only have to turn to other books to find reproduc- tions of the same birds taken in the wild. The author evidently used the A. O. U. Chec?-?ist for 1895, for he makes the follow- ing statement: "With the one exception of the California Valley quail I have followed the plan of the American Ornithologists' Union-. In this exception I have followed such good authorities as Bonaparte, Elliot, Ridgway, and Gambol, and given the Cali- fornia Valley quail the generic name of Lophortyx, instead of classing them with the Ca?ipep?a, to which belong the scaled quail, a Species with no distinction between the sexes." Such unfounded statements as the fol- lowing one about the Mourning Dove, which so often go the rounds among sportsmen, are in evidence: "A large number of these birds begin their nesting season in the mountains at altitudes of from 2000 to 4000 feet, raising one brood at that height, then moving down and nesting again, and mov- ing again until they reach the lower val- leys, where they remain all winter, congre- gating in certain places in *flocks of hun- dreds." The editorial work is extremely poor. Innumerable misspelled words, poor gram- mar, headings transposed and upside down, etc., are to be found throughout the book. By looking on the cover the reader wilt re- ceive the real staggering blow; for marked 'in good-sized type is: Price $1.50 Net. A book 4? by 7 inches, of 186 pages, printed on cheap paper, cheaply bound, and poorly edited, for one dollar and a half! Maybe the sportsman is willing to pay that much for such a book, but it certainly did not cost a third of that amount.--H. C. BRYANT. MINUTES OF COOPER CLIJB ' MEETINGS. SOUTHERN DIVISION FEERUAR.--The regular meeting of the ' Southern Division was held at the Museum of History, Science, and Art, Los Angeles, Thursday evening, February 26, 1914. In the absence of the president, Vice-president Robertson took the chair. The attendance was as follows: Mrs. Frances M. Harmon and Miss Myrtle Johnson, and Messrs. Chambers, Daggett, Dawson, Edwards, Eg- gleston, Esterly, Grey, Howell, Jewett, Lamb, Miller, Morcom,. Robertson, Snyder, Swarth, Willerr, Wyman, and Zahn. Visit- ors present were, Mrs. H. S. Swarth, and the Misses Olive W. Kelso, Harriett S. King, Gertrude B. Peirson, Mabel B. Peir- son, and Lucy Youse. The minutes of the January meeting were read and approved, followed by the North- ern Division minutes for February. New members elected were: Mrs. Minerva J. Fargo, Miss Etta V. Little, Miss Helen Powell, Miss Ada Wilson, and Messrs. Luther Little, L. R. Reynolds, and C. G. Stirera. One new name was presented, Mr. George W. Lane, Morganhill, California, proposed by J. Grinnell. The resignation of Lionel H. Duschak was read and accepted. A letter was read, received by Mr. Law from Professor J. N. Bowman, s?cretary of