52 THE CONDOR VOL. x

The following notice appeared in the Port- advantage of backing his observations with land Oregonian for December 8, rgo7: proof (not an unimportant thing in nature writ- “A consignment of European song birds was ing of today), and if he produces good authen- received last week by C. F. Pfluger, secretary tic photographs, one may be quite sure they of the Portland Songbird Club. The consign- were not secured without patient waiting and a ment consisted of song thrushes, chaff and gold- careful study of his subjects. finches, black caps and skylarks. The birds “In this book no attempt has been made to were imported direct from the Hanover district include all the different bird families, but a in Germany and from England. Seventy pairs series of representative birds from the hum- of the birds were placed in the aviary at the mingbird to the eagle has been selected. Each City Park to be sheltered until Spring, when chapter represents a close and continued study thev will be liberated. Sixtv uairs of skvlarks with camera and notebook at the home of some were also forwarded to bird ilubs in Washing- birdor group of birds,-a true life history of ton, Yamhill, Marion, Clatsop and Multnomah each species. It is the bird as a live creature, Counties, where they will later be set free. its real wild personality and character, that “The Portland Club is also making arrange- I have tried to portray. ments for the importation of mocking birds, “Many of these studies were made in the which are expected to reach this city early West, but in the list of birds treated an effort next Spring. Much good will result from the has been made to get a selection that is addition of these birds, as they are known to national in scope. In the popular mind a song be effective insect exterminators, and are act- sparrow is a song sparrow from ocean to ocean, ive, hardy and well adapted to the climate of yet scientifically he represents over a dozen this section.” subspecies, according to the part of the coun- try in which he lives. To the ordinary bird Perhaps some such idiotic procedure as the lover, however, a robin is the same east and above accounts for therecord of the Chaffinch at west, and the same is true of the chickadee, Monterey (see CONDOR VIII, March, 196, p. 58). flicker, wren, grosbeak, vireo, warbler, hawk, The next thing we know we will have Chaf- and others dealt with in the following chap finches and Goldfinches to deal with along ters.” with the “English Sparrow problem.” The The twenty-one chapters are titled as fol- Audubon Societies should bend their efforts lows: The Hummingbird at Home; The Chick- against the introduction of foreign birds, if adee; Photographing Flickers; The Yellow- they wish to keep our native avifauna intact. throat; A Family of Grosbeaks; The Red-tailed Mr. Finley suggests that‘ the popularity of Hawk; Jack Crow; The Owl, Bird of Night; the introduction idea in Oregon is urobablv Rearing a Wren Family; The Weaver of the due to the importation of the “China Pheas- West; Jimmy the Butcher-bird; The Warbler ant,” so successful, at least from the sports- and His Ways; Kingfishers: Sparrow Row; mans’ standpoint. Two Studies in Blue; Basket Makers, The Vireo and Oriole; Phoebe; A Pair of Cousins-Robin and Thrush; Gull Habits; In a Heron Village; The Eagle of Mission Ridge, PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED We feel a sort of pride in looking over this book, for it is a product of the West. Both AMERICAN BIRDS 1STUDIED AND PHOTO- Mr. Finley and Mr. Bohlman are western GRAPHED FROM LIFE 1By WILLIAM LOVELL students, and the present results of their work FINLEY ) Illustrated from Photographs by 1 is in no way inferior to that of the East or that HermanT. Bohlman f and the Author 1Charles of Europe. We heartily recommend the book Scribners Sons 1 New York 1 1907 (our copy to everyone.- J. G. received December IO, 1907). Pp. I-XVI, 1-256, 127 halftones on book plate paper, ($1.50.) EVOLUTION‘ AND ANIMAI, LIFE 1an ele- This is the most attractive popular bird book mentary discussion of 1facts, processes, laws of the year. In fact it contains the greatest and theories relating 1to the life and evolu- number of photographic illustrations, and illus- tion of animals 1by 1DAVID STARR JORDAN 1 trations of the greatest scientific value, of any President of Leland Stanford Junior Univer- book we have ever seen. The following well- sity 1and 1 VERNON LYMAN KELLOGG ) Pro- stated.epitome of the scope of the book consti- fessor of Entomology, and Lecturer in Bionom- tutes part of the Prefatory Note: its 1in Leland Stanford Junior University 1 “An important and sometimes difficult phase [quotation] ( [vignette] I New York 1 D. Ap- in the study of bird life is to observe accurately pleton and Company I Igo7 [our copy received and report without false interpretation the Oct. I, 19071; pp. I-XII, r-490, 3 colored plates habits and actions of birds. The naturalist (of birds), ~$3 text figures. who uses the camera in the field often has the No person can be a thoroly successful special- Jan., 1908 PUBLJCATIONS REVIEWED 53

iSt in any one field of natural history without ceived August 24) =Bulletin U. S. N. M. No. at the same time knowing something of the 50, Part IV, I pp I-XXII, I-974, pll. I-XXXIV. general problems, laws and theories of biology. In the four volumes of this great work now No student of birds should pursue his narrow published there have, ;been described 1,675 line of study, oblivious of the main results of species and subspecies, or somewhat more than work with the other classes of animals. The half the total number of North and Middle all-important facts and processes of organic American Birds.” The amount of work repre- evolution are as essential a feature of ornitho- sented in the 4000 closely printed pages already logical knowledge, as of a knowledge of in- issued is marvelous, when we bear in mind that sects, or fishes, or of plants. it means the labor of one man. The synonym- In their new book, titled as above, Jordan ies alone constitute an undertaking of great and Kellogg present a well-selected series of magnitude. There is not the least doubt in facts bearing on the subject of evolution, de- our minds but that Mr. Ridgways’ work is not rived from the latest work in both Europe and only the greatest in point of size, but the most America. The early theories and argumeuts of thoro, of all the systematic treatises on Amer- Darwin, Lamarck and others, and the recent ican birds ever issued. laws and theories of Mendel. Galton, DeVries, The title, above quoted, indicates the scope and Burbank, are succinctly presented. And of Part IV. We will simply call attention to a the views of the authors themselves appear to few of the points of interest in regard to us to reflect the very sanest of recent opinions Western species. on the many disputed points discussed. The Mr. Ridgway enters in full standing both treatment is popular, in the sense of being the Monterey Hermit Thrush (Hylocichla gut- clear and easily understandable by the lay tata slevini) and the Sierra Hermit Thrush (H. reader. The abundant illustrations are lessons g. sequoie%sis) while the alleged HyZocichZa in themselves. ustulata edica is included under N. zlsf~hta In fine, we would recommend the book as ustz4Zata. lxorieus ncevius meruloides, a sup- the very best and most up-to-date on the sub- posed northern form of the Varied Thrush, is ject of evolution, a book thatevery bird student considered inseparable from Ixoreus nevius should read and study, in order to have a proper. Planesticus is introduced as the genus broad foundation-knowledge upon which to name for the Robin. The range of the San build his ornithology. Pedro Bluebird (Sialia mexicana anabel@) is We regret to note not a few typographical extended to include the “mountains of San or perhaps chirographical slips, such as doubt- Diego and southern Los Angeles counties, less resulted from hurried proof-reading. A California, and along the eastern slope of the few minor errors are noticeable; such as the SierraNevada as far as Mount Lassen,” The nest of “Rufous hummingbird” photographed Pasadena Thrasher ( Toxostoma redivivum pap- at Stanford University, (Fig. 274) very improb- adenense) is not considered separable from the ably that species, but the Allen hummingbird California Thrasher (T. r. redivivum). The (Selasphorus alleni). Nor have we everseen Horned Larks are entered practically as worked any species of “Aythya” marked like those in out by Oberholser. A sort of dichromatism is Fig. 276. The composition in places could ascribed to certain Empidonaces, as hammondi, have been smoothed over a bit. wrightii and griseus. This discovery is of ex- But the subject-matter and mode of presen- treme interest; yet it still more complicates the tation of the book cannot be criticized, as far differential characterization of these difficult as we are concerned. We urge those of our species. The genus ConZopus, for the Wood readers who wish to acquire a familiarity with Pewees, becomes Myiochanes. the latest evolutionary views, to make use of In lack of the long-delaying new A. 0. U. this, the best exposition of the entire subject check-list, it seems to us that students can do as it now stands to be obtained.-J. G. no better than follow Ridgways’ lead implicit- ly in matters of nomenclature. In fact we do The BIRDS 1OF 1NORTH AND MIDD~.E not know but what the check-list had better AMERICA: 1 A Descriptive Catalogue 1 [etc. 7 give way for the present to the “Birds of North lines]. ( By 1 ROBERT RIDGWAY 1Curator. Div- and Middle America,” leaving the latter as the ision of Birds ( - 1PART IV. 1Family Tur- only recognized authority.-J. G. dida -Thrushes. Family ZeZedoniidE 1 Wren- Thrushes. Family Mimide-Mockingbirds. Family Stuy&de-Starlings. Family Ploceide RESEARCH IN CHINA 1Expedition of 1903- 1 Weaver Birds. Family Alaudida-Larks. 04, under the direction of Bailey Willis 1- Family Oyxruncidar-Sharp-bills. Family 1 REPORT ON ZOOLOGY 1by I ELIOT BI.ACK- Tyraflrnidca-Tyrant Flycatchers. Family WELDER ( [extracted from Carnegie Institution Pipvi&-Manakins. Family Cotingide-- of Washington Publication No. 54, 1 Research Chatterers. j - I Washington: 1Govern- in China, Volume I, Part 11, pages 481-508, 6 ment Printing Office. 1 1907. (our Copy re- plates, [vignette] I Washington, D. C.: I Pu

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