REVIEWS

EDITED BY M. ROSS LEIN

Thefollowing reviews express the opinions of theindividual reviewers regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and value of thebooks they review. As such, they are subjective evaluations and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of theeditors or any officialpolicy of theA.O.U.--Eds.

The Florida Scrub Jay: demographyof a cooper- geneticparents in the care of young that are not off- ative-breeding bird.--Glen E. Woolfenden and John spring of the helpers.To establishthat an individual W. Fitzpatrick. 1984. Princeton, New Jersey,Prince- is a helper, one must observeit caring for young that ton University Press. xiv + 406 pp., 1 color plate, are known not to be its own. There is no evidence many figures.ISBN 0-691-08366-5(cloth), 0-691-08367-3 in the chapter on procedures that Woolfenden and (paper).Cloth, $45.00;paper, $14.50.--For nearly two Fitzpatrick employed this criterion, although they decades three long-term studies of communally were aware of it (p. 4). Instead, throughout the book breeding birds, well known to readersof this review, jays are divided into breedersand helpers, implying have been in progress.The behavioral ecology of that if a bird is not a breeder it must be a helper these speciesis so complex that conclusionsreached ("Helpers are nonbreeders," p. 80). It is well known after only a few years of study can be quite mislead- for other speciesthat not all nonbreeders help, and ing. Eachnew year of studynot only enlargessample that individual nonbreedersvary significantlyin the sizesbut also provides insights that require impor- amount or intensity of their helping efforts. These tant reinterpretationsof earlier findings. Commend- are also possibilitiesfor the Scrub Jay. To remain ably, Woolfenden and Fitzpatrickbrought together strictly objectiveI recommendthat readerssubstitute in one convenient place some of the findings of the in their minds the term "nonbreeder"every time they first 10 yearsof their study of ScrubJays, demonstrat- seethe word "helper" in this monographbecause the ing many benefitsof a long-termstudy. Although it operationalcriterion used in identifying presumed presentsa wealth of information, however, this book helpersseems to have been that they were not breed- fails short of accuratelyrepresenting the prevalent ers. views of 1984 (and especially 1987) with respectto The failure to distinguish clearly and consistently the main issues.To understandwhy, I proposeto between the question of helping and that of non- examine the main issuescritically. breeding can have far-reachingconsequences. It may One of the major contributionsof evolutionarybi- be one reason the authors and others have confused ology in the secondhalf of this century is, in the the main issues.The question, "Why help?" is dis- opinion of many, the theory of inclusive fitness tinctly different from the question, "Why delay (Hamilton 1964). By generating testable predictions, breedingand dispersal?"Yet in this monographthese this theory hasstimulated many empiricalstudies of two questionshave been confounded.Of course,the natural populations. The focus of interest is the rel- two questionsare not independent. For example, the ative importanceof indirect fitness (Brown 1980) in hypothesisthat the authorsreject may be stated as the evolution of socialsystems. follows: Helpers give up chancesto breed to gain One approachto this issueis to ask whether indi- indirect benefitsfrom helping their parents.No oth- rect fitnessis really necessaryas a componentof an er benefit to the helper is considered except the in- explanation of social behavior, such as helping be- direct benefit. A secondhypothesis involving indi- havior. This view is commonlyassociated with Wool- rect selection is that some jays are prevented from fenden and Fitzpatrick (p. 6). Another approach, breeding by territoriality and the resultant habitat which I prefer, is to use the methodof alternativework- saturationand that only then, having no opportunity inghypotheses, traditionally viewed as the heart of the to breed, do the birds becomehelpers for the indirect scientific method. Using this procedure we set up benefit. A rule of thumb for suchbirds might be stat- alternativehypotheses, some employing indirect fit- ed as:"Breed if you can;but if you cannot,then stay nessand some not. Then the data are comparedwith home as a strategy for getting a territory and help the predictionsof eachhypothesis. Some hypotheses your parentsin the meantime."This is the basisfor will be rejected;others will remain. The "is it nec- the theory I proposedin 1969 and 1974. Needlessto essary?"approach, if it is used at all, should be ap- say, I was dismayedthat although I proposedthe plied to all hypotheses,not selectivelyto thosedis- theory specificallyfor jays and had the Scrub Jay in approvedby the authors. mind, the authors did not even consider it. Beforethe processcan even begin, we must know Koenig, Mumme, and Pitelka (1983) extended the exactlywhat we are talking about. What preciselyis tendency to think of helpers as nonbreederseven a helper? A helper is an individual that assiststhe further: they mistakenly defined helpers as non-

35O April 1987] Reviews 351 breeders.Quite possiblythe rather widespreadoc- authors,however, imply that their observationsare currenceof suchmistakes has contributed to the per- not"consistent with strictly kin-selectedhelping be- sistentconfusion of issuesby these five authors. havior" (p. 88). It would have been interestingto see After nine chaptersof competentpresentation and the data on actual helping at the nest by the unre- analysis of data, Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick distill lated 6%,compared with the correspondingdata for the main resultsin a final chapter that evaluatesthe the related 94%. These data were not presented. In data with respectto the question,"Why help?" In my opinion, the data in this monograph are com- their casethis means mainly, "Why stay home and pletely consistentwith the theory I proposedin 1974. delay breeding?" They conclude that the factor of Further discussionof this point may be found in greatestimportance for a young bird is the difficulty Brown (1987). of obtaininga breedingterritory. In other words,the Are the data also consistent with othertheories, not jaysdelay breeding("help") simply becauseit is dif- involving indirect selection?There is some discus- ficult to find a breedingopening. This is exactlythe sion of the possibilitythat somemales that help can conclusionI reached(1978a) after a review of quan- improve their chancesof gaining breeding status titative data on various species,including the Scrub through territorial budding. Personally, I find the Jay. Indeed, the authors postulatea variable, reflect- data unconvincing (see Brown 1987); but I am will- ing this difficulty,D, which correspondsto my vari- ing to allow, lacking the critical data, that interpre- able F, which correspondsto Emlen's(1982) variable tationscould go either way. The experimentsneces- psi. It appearsthat on this point Woolfenden, Fitz- sary to resolve the issuehave not been done. patrick, Emlen, and I are in perfect agreement.This For females,on the other hand, no plausibletheory monograph,however, gives the impressionof dis- is presented by the authors. Furthermore, the data agreement.The authorsrefer to their "decouplingof are not consistentwith any publishedtheory for the kinship benefitsand dispersal"as "our major depar- evolution of helping that does not invoke indirect ture from typical kin-selectionmodels," and cite me selection. For further discussion,see Brown (1987: incorrectly(p. 324). This uncouplingwas, of course, chapter 14). the majorpoint of the K-selectionphase of my 3-phase In my opinion the confusionin this monographis theory, which "uncoupled"the explanationfor de- the inevitableresult of failure to distinguishcareful- layed breedingand dispersal(habitat saturation) from ly and consistentlybetween two questions.First (Q1), kinship benefits. Why do young remain with their parentsin a non- Despite their hidden agreement,I am displeased breeding role? Second(Q2), Given this role, why do with their conclusion, not for what it is but for how they help? they arrived at it. Ideally, the method of multiple The loudest claims that indirect kin selection is working hypothesesshould have been used formally unimportant (i.e. this monograph,Koenig and Pi- and explicitly. All hypothesesfor delayed breeding telka 1981) are based on Q1. But for Q1, where is the shouldhave been laid on the table.An effort to reject theoretical and empirical literature that invokes in- each of them should have been made. One of the direct kin selectionformally and explicitly?If this is oldest known hypotheses for delayed breeding, an important scientific issue,such literature should namely age-dependentlack of skill in foraging,was not be hard to find. I have searched in vain for such not even considered.Perhaps in a future publication papers before 1984. My own papers have never in- they can present data with which the remaining hy- voked indirect kin selection for Q1, and I have ex- pothesescan be evaluated. plicitly rejectedthis hypothesison the basisof a re- Now what aboutthe main question,the evolution view of empirical data (Brown 1978a). Woolfenden of helping in the true sense?The authorshave little and Fitzpatrick failed to find such references;and to say on this subjectexcept for a few commentson their earlier (1978) reference to Brown (1974) was an the possibilitythat helpingbehavior is a neutraltrait. error (Brown 1978b).In fact, the principal alternative In an earlier chapter,however, they present relevant hypothesisto indirect kin selectionfor Q1 (habitat evidenceabout relatedness. The mostconvincing way saturafion) can be traced to Selander (1964) and to to rejecthypotheses based on indirect selectionis to the very paper (Brown 1974) they previously cited demonstratethat donor and recipient are unrelated. incorrectlyin supportof indirect selection.Since then The crucial data are the coefficients of relatedness habitatsaturation has been embracedby Woolfenden between donor and recipient. Woolfenden and Fitz- and Fitzpatrick, Emlen (1982), Koenig and Pitelka patrickreport that 94%of the helperswere relatedto (1981),and others.In short,although it is the focus the recipient young. If the authors are correct that of this monograph,the role of indirect kin selection helpers actually benefit parent-recipients,then these in Q1 never was an issue. To announce now that it data are sufficient to demonstrate a measurable in- has been rejectedis like burning a straw man. The creasein indirect fitness of a magnitude that one doubt caston indirect kin selectionrecently by Wool- might expect could be important in evolution. Most fenden and Fitzpatrick refers to Q1. They do not se- studentsof natural selectionwould accept94% as im- riously considerQ2 at all. portant evidencein supportof indirect selection.The Q2 presents a different picture. Evidence that 352 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104 stronglyimplicates indirect kin selectionand rejects HAMILTON,W. D. 1964. The genetical evolution of published rival hypotheseshas been published for social behaviour. I. and II. J. Theor. Biol. 7: 1-52. three studies (Clarke 1984, Reyer 1984, Rabenold KOENIG, W. D., R. L. MUMME, & F. A. PITELKA. 1983. 1985). Unpublished but similar results in two more Female roles in cooperatively breeding Acorn studieshave been presentedat meetings(S. Emlen, Woodpeckers.Pp. 235-261 in Social behavior of M. Avery). It is for Q2 and not Q1 that I invoked female vertebrates(S. K. Wasser,Ed.). New York, indirect kin selection in 1969 and 1974. In the 1974 Academic Press. paper the distinctionwas especiallyclear. ß& F. A. PITELKA.1981. Ecologicalfactors and The idea that helping is a neutral byproductdoes kin selection in the evolution of cooperative not explain the high degreeof selectivityby helpers breeding in birds. Pp. 244-256 in Natural selec- in choosingclose kin as recipients in these studies. tion and social behavior: recent research and new The view that helping relativesis invariably associ- theory (R. D. Alexander and D. W. Tinkle, Eds.). ated with future direct-fitness benefits ("lifetime fit- New York, Chiron Pressß ness") can also be rejected in some of these studies RABENOLD,K.N. 1985. Cooperationin breeding by (Reyer 1984, Rabenold 1985). nonreproductivewrens: kinship, reciprocity,and Opinions that the debate over indirect kin selec- demography. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 17: 1-17. tion has been settled by this book are based on a REYER, H. U. 1984. Investment and relatedness: a misunderstandingof the issues.With regard to Q1, cost/benefitanalysis of breeding and helping in there never was an issue.With regard to Q2, evi- the Pied Kingfisher (Cerylerudis). Anita. Behav. dencesupporting indirect kin selectionand rejecting 32: 1163-1178. published rival hypothesesis available in severalex- SELANDER,R. K. 1964. Speciation in wrens of the cellent studies. Authors who have used the term genus Carnpylorhynchus.Univ. California Publ. ßßhelper 'ß to refer to nonbreeders have almost neces- Zool. 74: 1-224. sarily confusedQ1 and Q2. WOOLFENDEN,G. E., & J. W. FITZPATRICK.1978. The In summary,the ScrubJay volume is an important inheritanceof territoryin group-breedingbirdsß sourceof demographicdata on a singular-breeding BioScience 28: 104-108. specieswith nonbreeding helpers. Its handling of the main scientificissues, however, suchas delayed breeding, helping, and the roles of direct and indi- rect fitness in natural selection, literally cannot be Avian physiology.--P. D. Sturkie (Ed.). 1986. taken at face value.--JERRAML. BROWNß Fourth ed. New York, Berlin, Heidelberg, Tokyo, Springer-Verlag.xii + 516 pp., 199 illustrations.ISBN 0-387-91695.$59.00. Handbuch der Gefiiigelphy- LITERATURE CITED siologie.--Alfred Mehner and Wilhelm Hartfiel (Eds.). 1983. Jena, VEB Gustav Fischer. Available in BROWN,J. L. 1969. Territorial behavior and popu- nonsocialistcountries through S. Karger AG, Basel. lation regulation in birdsßWilson Bullß81: 293- 1,156 pp. in 2 parts, 307 illustrations. ISBN 3-8055- 329ß 3738-7. Ca. DM 480.--Since the mid-18th century ß 1974. Alternate routesto socialityin jays-- birds have played a modestbut significantrole in the with a theory for the evolution of altruism and developmentof experimentalanimal physiology.The communalbreedingß Amer. Zool. 14: 63-80ß importanceof a few domesticatedspecies for human 1978a. Avian communalbreeding systemsß nutrition induced an increasinglytechnical husban- Ann. RevßEcol. Syst. 9: 123-155. dry, which, in turn, generated a complementary 1978b. Avian heirs of territory. BioScience interest in avian physiology. Understandably, 28: 750-752ß however, a very significant orientation of this 1980. Fitnessin complexavian socialsys- development was initially in the realm of applied tems. Pp. 115-128 in Evolution of social behav- physiologydirected toward enhancementof fleshand ior: hypothesesand empirical tests (H. Markl, egg production.Basic research on organsand systems Ed.). Weinheim, Verlag Chemie. developed more slowly through the first half of the 1987. Helping and communalbreeding in 20th century. Moreover, the predominate early ori- birds: ecology and evolutionß Princeton, New entation of applied poultry physiology divorced it Jersey, Princeton Univß Press. extensivelyfrom the evolution of animal physiology. CLARKE,M. F. 1984. Co-operativebreeding by the A much slenderer stream of investigations of feral AustralianBell Miner Manorinamelanophrys La- species,traceable to Aristotle, and enhanced by the tham: a test of kin selectiontheory. Behav.Ecol. philosophy and remarkably accurateobservations of Sociobiol. 14: 137-146. August FredericusSecundus, has increased,ata strik- EMLEN,S. T. 1982. The evolution of helping. I. An ingly increasingrate during the current half century. ecologicalconstraints model. Amer. Natur. 119: Nevertheless,as well illustrated by "Handbuch der 29-39ß Gefliigelphysiologie" (HGP) and "Avian Physiol- April 1987] Reviews 353 ogy" (AP), the field is still dominatedby investiga- Even with allowancefor the earlier completionof tions on a few domesticatedspecies, which imposes the manuscripton senseorgans in HGP, the treat- regrettablebiases and hiatuses,a matter to be borne ments of these organsin AP is superior. But neither in mind in the use of both treatises. mention recent demonstrations of the use of infor- The original edition of AP, a volume of modest mation from Earth's magnetic field in orientation length written alone by Paul Sturkie and published during migration. in 1954, was the first treatise devoted exclusivelyto In addition to the above-mentioned chapter on avian physiology.The fourth edition involves the physiologyof types of motion, HGP considersother efforts of 18 authors from the USA and 3 from the aspectsof avian physiologythat are treated only in- United Kingdom. A comparisonbetween the two cidentally or excluded from AP. An example is the editionsprovides insight into the rapid progressand extensive discussion of the skin and its derivatives. increasedsophistication in avianphysiology in three Although oriented exclusively toward domestic decadeseven thoughseveral exciting developments species,it is neverthelessuseful beyond the realm of are omitted or scantily considered,presumably be- poultry physiology. Unfortunately, results of some causeof remotenessof bearingon poultry science. recent researchefforts, including those on compara- HGP differs from AP, not only becauseit is an tive compositionsof secretionsof the uropygialgland originaleffort by 28 authorsfrom 6 countries,mostly and its production of pheromone,are lacking. Inter- from the FederalRepublic of Germany,but alsobe- estingly, the index of AP lists neither feathers nor causeof its greaterlength and more expansivecov- uropygial gland, two of the most distinctive features erage.Although there are someexceptions among of birds! Although somewhatmore morphological the chapters,notably that on movementsincluding than physiological,HGP containsa usefulchapter on flight, swimming, and diving, HGP, as the title in- bones,cartilage, and calcium metabolism.This, and dicates,has a generally greaterorientation toward some other chapters,contain few referencesto re- poultry physiology.This orientationis emphasized searchpapers that appearedwithin a decadeof pub- especiallyby chapterson the origin of domestic lication of HGP. speciesand the processesof selectionin their artifi- Bearingin mind that manuscriptsfor severalchap- cial evolution,and on artificial incubation,and by tersin HGP were apparentlycompleted by about 1976 rather extensive, classical treatises on vitamins and or 1977, the treatments of nervous system,muscle, mineralsand effectsof deficienciesthereof, especial- circulation,and digestivesystem are relatively com- ly in domesticfowl. It is unfortunate that the time parable in the two treatises.Even allowing for this elapsed between completion of manuscriptsand difference in time of completion of manuscripts,I publicationappears generally to range from 3 to 7 found the treatment of control of reproduction in AP years.I have bornethis interval in mind in compar- to be superior to that in HGP. isonsof correspondingchapters in the two treatises. Becauseof differencesin aspectfrom which com- Among areasin which there have been exciting parable chapterswere developed, the overlap in lit- recent investigations,I find AP somewhat superior eraturesources is lessthan one might envision.Not in renal functionand osmoregulationbecause of con- surprisingly, the coverageof non-English literature siderationof the roles of nasalsalt glandsand ab- is more extensivein HGP. Indeed, the quality of some sorption by the hindgut. Both AP (1 chapter) and of the chapters in AP suffers somewhat from isola- HGP (2 chapters)present good contemporaryac- tion from non-Englishliterature. Citations of the ex- countsof the function of the lung-airsacsystem and tensiveRussian literature are scantyin HGP and es- respiration.In contemporaryendocrinology of do- sentially nonexistentin AP. mestic species,AP is clearly superior except in the Both treatises are deficient in several areas of avian treatment of prostoglandins.In both treatises,how- physiologyin which there have been excitingrecent ever, the rapidly increasingvolume of endocrinere- advances.Among theseare the resultsof the plethora searchon fetal speciesis treatedonly incidentally. of sophisticatedstudies on energeticsand respiration Whereasthe subjectis treated somewhatinciden- of embryosin relation to propertiesof eggshelland tally in HGP, AP containsa brief but well-constructed the adaptations of the latter to environmental con- chapteron immunophysiologyof the domesticfowl, ditions,including altitude. Recentinvestigations of the only avianspecies in which significantcontem- the comparativephysiology of incubationand of post- porary investigationshave been effected. hatching developmentare omitted in both volumes. Bothtreatises contain chapters on energymetabo- Although birds have been usedextensively in inves- lism and thermoregulation,each of which are sound tigations of endogenous circadian and circannual and useful.The chaptersin AP are of greaterinterest rhythms, the former are mentioned only briefly or becausethey considerbirds in general,whereas those incidentally and the latter not at all. There are other in HGP are concernedalmost exclusivelywith do- conspicuous omissions. mesticforms. Nevertheless, the treatmentof energy In the comparisonof two or more treatiseson the metabolism in the latter is useful because of its effec- samesubject it should be expectedthat the reviewer tive attention to the basicaspects. expressa recommendationor choice.Unfortunately, 354 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104

I cannot do this unequivocally. Becauseof the more The primary purpose of Loppenthin's book is to recent preparation of manuscriptsfor AP, the inclu- bring to light seven heretofore unpublished plates sion of more information on feral speciesof several that contain 49 lithographs depicting 44 speciesof orders, better quality of illustrations, and more fa- "Russian-American"birds. Lithographed by J. Beg- vorable price, I am inclined to recommend it to in- grow from drawings by W. G. Pape, the plates were dividuals as the purchase of choice. Although AP made in St. Petersburg in about 1835 and were in- through its editions has moved toward the statusof tended to illustrate Brandt's descriptionsof birds of a general avian physiology, such a treatise still re- the Russianpossessions in the northern Pacific.The mains to be produced.Because of its more extensive secondarypurpose, an obviously important one to use of non-English literature, a generally greater at- the author, is to try to unravel the many mysteries tention to historical development of avian physiol- surrounding the plates. To that end Dr. Loppenthin ogy, and inclusion of subjectsnot covered in AP, hasprovided a brief biographyof Brandt, a thorough much can be said in favor of HGP. I strongly suspect review of the literature relating to Brandt'swork on that I will consult each frequently and with equal Russianbirds, a survey of establishmentsin Russian frequency. Certainly, both should be in good orni- America and expeditions of importance to ornitho- thological libraries.--DoNALD S. FARNER. logical studies before 1835, and a plate-by-plate, species-by-speciescommentary on all of the birds pictured on the plates. The localities of Brandt's specimens,mainly places throughoutthe Bering Seaand along the land bridge, Johann Friedrich von Brandt: Icones Avium Ros- evokean age of high adventure.Kodiak Island, Un- sico-Americanarum, Tabulae VII, Ineditae, with alaska, St. Lawrence, St. Paul, Sitka, Kamchatka, the comments on birds, expeditions and people in- Pribilofs, even the Kurils and California--all figure volved.--Bernt Loppenthin. 1984. Copenhagen, in the story. The scientistsand explorersare similarly Scandinavianfine Editions. 70 pp., 12 text figures, 7 evocative: Vitus Bering (Second Expedition 1733- color plates. ISBN 87-7312-000-6. Available from 1742),James Cook (Third and LastVoyage 1776-1780), Scandinavian fine Editions, P.O. Box 1019, DK-1007 Joseph Billings (Expedition 1785-1794), A. J. von Copenhagen K, Denmark. 385 kroner plus postage Krusenstern (Expedition) and G. H. von Langsdorff and handling.--This book has all the marksof a la- (Travels 1803-1808), Otto von Kotzebue (Expeditions bor of love. A fascinating blend of art, science,his- 1815-1826),and F. H. von Kittlitz (Voyage on Board tory, and bibliography,it is the work of Bernt Lop- the Senyavin1826-1829). As Loppenthinmakes clear, penthin (M.D., M.Sc.), the former chief librarian at each of these voyagesor expeditionsmay have con- the Scientific and Medical Department of the Uni- tributed in some way to the descriptionslater pro- versity Library, Copenhagen.In undertaking this duced by Brandt. complex project and in completing it so successfuly, The remarkson the birds drawn by Papefor Brandt Dr. Loppenthin has performed a service to many provide further detail about the probable origin of branchesof scholarship.Ornithology is the mostob- the specimensas well as commentary on the accuracy vious beneficiary, but historiansof science,anthro- of the descriptions,taxonomy, nomenclature, etc. The pologists, students of bird portraiture, and those in- species themselves are of an interesting variety, terested in scientific expeditions and voyages of ranging from the albatrossesto the sparrows. The discoverywill also find much of value. full list follows and is "in the systematicsequence Brandtwas born in 1802in Brandenburg.His moth- given by Voous (1937-1977) under modern scientific er was a teacher and his father a medical practitioner names."Readers will note that recent changesin no- who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.Brandt menclature and taxonomic order (e.g. the Rosy qualified as a physician in 1826, but his clear pref- Finches)are not recognized.Species marked with an erence for botanical and zoological studies and the asterisk, eight in all, are thought to be type speci- influence of Alexander von Humboldt, an advisor to mens figured by Pape from material under Brandt's the Tsar on scientific matters, combined to secure supervision.The figured birds are:

Brandt the position of director of the zoologicalmu- Diomedea albatrus Pallas 1769, Short-tailed Albatross seum at the Academy of Sciencesin St. Petersburgin Puffinustenuirostris (Temminck 1835),Slender-billed Shearwater 1831. He served for 39 years, 15 of them as professor Oceanodromafurcata (Gmelin 1789),Fork-tailed Storm Petrel of zoology at the main institution and 18 of them as Oceanodroma leucorhoa beali Emerson 1906, Leach's Storm Petrel Phalacrocoraxperspicillatus (Pallas 1811), Pallas's Cormorant professorof zoology and comparativeanatomy at the Phalacrocoraxurile (Gmelin 1789), Red-faced Cormorant medicosurgicalacademy. Brandt died in Russiain 1879; *Phalacrocoraxpenicillatus (Brandt 1838), Brandt'sCormorant in almost 50 yearsthere he published over 300 papers *Phalacrocoraxauritus cincinnatus (Brandt 1838), Northwestern Double- in various fields of zoology, paleontology, and ge- crested Cormorant Ansercaerulescens (Linn• 1758), Snow Goose ography. He led two major expeditions into Siberia Ansercanagicus (Sevastianov 1802), Emperor Goose and becamethe preeminent natural scientist in the *Brantacanadensis leucopareia (Brandt 1836), LesserCanada Goose land. Anasfalcata Georgi 1775,Falcated Teal April1987] Reviews 355

Polystictastelleri (Pallas 1769),Steller's Eider ing numberof typographicalerrors. Given the com- Dendragapusobscurus sitkensis Swart 1921,Sitka BlueGrouse plexity of the text perhapsthese typos are forgivable. Haetnatopusbachmani Audubon 1838, American Black Oystercatcher Larusargentatus vegae Palm•n 1887,Vega Herring Gull On balancethis is a book worth adding to any schol- *Rissabrevirostris (Bruch 1853), Red-legged Kittiwake arly ornithologicalcollection. We canbe gratefulto Cepphuscarbo Pallas 1811, Spectacled Guillemot BerntLoppenthin for the effort and intelligencethat Brachyratnphusmartnoratus (Gmelin 1789),Marbled Murrelet have gone into the book and to Scandinavianfine Brachyratnp•usbrevirostris (Vigors 1828), Kittlitz's Murrelet Synthliboratnphusantiquus (Gmelin 1789), Ancient Murrelet Editions for its production.--JOHN P. MCDON^LD. Alle alle (Linn• 1758), Little Auk or Dovekie Ptychoratnphusaleuticus (Pallas 1811), Cassin's Auklet Aethia cristatella(Pallas 1769), Crested Auklet Aethiapygmaea (Gmelin 1789),Whiskered Auklet Aethiapusilia (Pallas 1811), Least Auklet Cyclorrhynchuspsittacula (Pallas 1769), Parakeet Auklet Birds,men and books:a literary history of orni- Cerorhincatnonocerata (Pallas 1811), RhinocerosAuklet thology.--PeterTare. 1986.London, Henry Sother- Fraterculacorniculata (Naumann 1821), Horned Puffin an. 193 pp., 20 photographs.ISBN 0-9508219-1-8. Lundacirrhata (Pallas 1769), Tufted Puffin Selasphorusrufus (Gmelin 1788),Rufous Hummingbird œ13.95.--As a long-time Britannophile ("Anglo- Cerylealcyon caurina Grinnell 1910,Western Belted Kingfisher phile" is toorestrictive), I neverthought I would use Catharusfuscescens salicicola (Ridgway 1882),Veery the word "British" as a pejorative, but this was my Parusrufescens rufescens Townsend 1837, Northern Chestnut-backed inevitable reaction upon finishing this book. It is Chickadee Cyanocittastelleri stelleri (Gmelin 1788),Northern Steller'sJay overwhelminglyinsular in its coverage.Nothing in *Leucostictearctoa brunneonucha (Brandt 1842), White-winged Rosy Finch the title or subtitle,or even in the publisher'sjacket *Leucostictetephrocotls griseonucha (Brandt 1842), Grey-crownedRosy blurb, warns the reader that the book's emphasis is Finch on the history of ornithology in GreatBritain. Vermivoracelata (Say 1823),Orange-crowned Warbler Dendroicatownsendi (Townsend 1837),Townsend's Warbler The 11 chapter titles reflect the author'sdivision Wilsoniapusilla pileolata (Pallas 1811), Northern Wilson'sWarbler of ornithologicalhistory into more-or-lessdiscrete Amtnodratnussandwichensis sandwichensis (Gmelin 1789),Aleutian Savan- periods:The Primitives,First ScientificApproaches, nah Sparrow The Birth of the Modern Bird Book, The First Popu- Zonotrichiatnelodia sanaka (McGregor 1901),Aleutian Song Sparrow larisers, The Post War Period, etc. Most of the 20 *Zonotrichiamelodia rufina (Bonaparte 1850), Sooty Song Sparrow *Zonotrichialincolnii gracihs (Kittlitz 1858), Northwestern Lincoln's illustrationsare portraits of ornithologists.Four are Sparrow of pagesor coversof books,and there is one photo- Juncohyemalis oreganus (Townsend 1837), Northwestern Oregon Junco grapheach of a collectionof Britishhandbooks, from Witherby to Cramp et al., and of three bookshelves Though most of Loppenthin's commentariesare of field guides. brief, where questions arise concerning identifica- Documentation within the text is nonexistent. tion (e.g. Townsend'sWarbler), location (e.g. Dove- There is an unexplained and unannotated "Select kie), or speciation(e.g. SootySong Sparrow) the com- bibliography"of 27 titles, plus a list of 6 journals. mentaryis extendedand reflectsa very closereading Oddly, only the name of the journal BritishBirds is of the pertinent literature. There are interesting re- enclosedin quotation marks, an unexplained singu- marks,too, about speciessuch as Pallas'sCormorant, larity. already sliding toward extinction when Brandt was Considerthe idiosyncraciesof the text. In a "his- doing this work in the 1830% and about Brandt's tory" of this kind, Tate could hardly avoid mention- Cormorant,by meansof which most of us first be- ing Audubon,but "The Birdsof America"was, let us come acquainted with Brandt. Loppenthin notes, not forget, producedin England.Audubon occupies "Brandt's Cormorant is not an Alaskan bird .... The abouthalf of the pagesof a chapterentitled "Audu- place of captureof the specimendrawn by Pape for bon and Gould" (which has a page devoted to Pri- Brandt'splates, which undoubtedly representsthe deauxJohn Selby inserted in the middle).Within the type specimen,is unknown." It is about just such account of John Gould, no mention is made of the mysteriesthat L•ppenthin speculateswith an insight major portion of Gould's Australian collection (in- based on his familiarity with all of the important cluding 314 type specimens)now in the Academyof sources.His knowledge is impressive,and so is his Natural Sciencesof Phildelphia (Meyer de Schauen- book. Readingit is at onceinstructive and enjoyable. see 1957, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 109: 124- Physicallythe book is well made. The page size is 130). In a later chapter entitled "EstablishingUS or- generous(about 28 x 31 cm), the paper is good, and nithology," the only 19th-century American orni- the type is clear. The book is bound in a paper de- thologistsmentioned are Baird, Coues, Cassin, and scribedby the publisher as "elephant skin." Without Elliot. The British are constantlygiven credit for each seeingthe original platesthe mostone can say is that advancein ornithologicalknowledge, whether or not the reproductionsappear to be good, as is the color such studies had been underway earlier in other work. There is a substantial list of references and an countries.For example,Tate claimsthat "little seri- adequateindex, both of which are indispensable.For ous work towards [the] amplification or verification a book costingabout $50, the volume has an annoy- [of the theory of migration]was carriedout until the 356 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104

1880s, when the British Association for the Advance- portant taxonomicworks yet to be published." There ment of Science appointed a special committee to is no description of the contents of this landmark study bird migration, a world pioneering effort in work, nor any explanation of its importance. But we this field." He implies that the British Ornithologists' are carefully informed that Harteft "was an interest- Club committee formed in 1904 "with the object of ing character,pedantic with an obsessiveregard for collectingrecords from around the countryregister- detail, he never lost his thick German accent ing the arrival and departure dates of the summer throughoutthe many yearshe lived in England. In visitors" was also a pioneering project. To anybody his appearancetoo he was typically Prussian,with inclined to believe this, I recommend the examina- an egg shapedhead covered with short bristly tan- tion of (for instance)the introductorypages of vol. coloured hair." This description is not only typical 1 of E. H. Eaton's "Birds of New York" (publication of Tate'sAnglocentrism and obsessionwith personal date given as 1910but manuscriptsubmitted in 1908), characteristics, but also (in its first half) illustrates his in which arrival and departure dates are given for frequent problemswith sentencestructure. localities in 59 counties of New York; all of these data Sloppinessin details abounds in Tate's book. The obviously were collected before 1908, and many of Arthur A. Allen Award is correctlyattributed to Cor- the migration dates were extractedfrom local lists nell University on page 169, but to the American published between 1844 and 1901. Two more of nu- Ornithologists'Union on pages164 and 172.On pages merouspossible examples of Tate'sprovincialism must 130, 131, and 132 appear, in succession,"vertibrate" suffice.He says of Wilfred Alexander (1885-1965), for vertebrate, "Sennet" for Sennett, and "Columbia" "He was one of the first to appreciate that in moun- for Colombia (twice). On page 91 Lord Lilford is said tain areasdifferent bird speciesoccupy different al- to have died following a "stoke," and his magnum titudinal 'layers.'" Has Tate ever heard of C. Hart opusis called "The PolouredFigures of the Birds of Merriam?Certainly. The name appearstwice in Tate's the British Isles." index, once because Elliott Coues "became embroiled Tate indulges in severalquestionable value judg- in argumentsand quarrelswith two other ornithol- ments. He states that "there was no justification ogists,Clinton Hart Merriam and Leonard[= Leon- whatsoever"for MacGillivray's calling the blackbird hard] Stejneger"and once within a list of ornithol- the black thrush (why not?). According to Tate, the ogiststhat Alexander Wetmore met when he first same haplessMacGillivray "came very close to dis- went to Washington. coveringthe taxonomicimportance of the muscula- Perhapsthe most incredible of Tate'sstatements is ture of the vocal organs,but insteadveered off from on page 172: "... early attemptsby individuals at this line of research in order to concoct a classifica- providing distribution maps go back at least to 1947, tion basedupon the structureof the digestiveorgans, when JamesFisher's 'Bird Recognition'appeared." which was virtually useless."Hindsight is often clear The 1910 volume of Eaton's "Birds of New York" but who knew, in the first half of the 19th century, cited above contains excellent statewide distribution that this systemwould prove to be "virtually use- mapsfor 35 breeding species,maps that are invalu- less"?Very British indeed is Tate's evaluation of the able for documentinghistorical range changes. painter Archibald Thorburn: "Few have equalledand Tate'streatment of the ornithologicalliterature from none surpassedhis work." It would be interesting to the European continent is equally perfunctory. On know in what way Thorburn has never been sur- page 29 he states:"Although the achievementsof passed.Tate peripherally mentions Louis Agassiz Brisson,Buffon and Linnaeus lie outside the scopeof Fuertes,a contemporaryof Thorburn, three times,but this book [why?], some reference must be made to nowhere is there an evaluation of Fuertes's work (oth- them becauseof their enormous influence upon the er than the applicationof the adjective"great") or entire zoologicalworld." The two Frenchmenare then mention of any of the bookshe illustrated. disposedof in less than a page, and a full page is Tate is apparentlyboth guillible and zoologically generouslygranted to Linnaeus. naive, as he repeats without comment a story about Tate's subtitle is utterly inaccurate.Of the three Lord Lilford, one of whosepet armadillosis alleged nouns in his title, Tate'semphasis is overwhelmingly to have "promptly escapedand ate one of his neigh- on the men, not the birds or the books. He appears bor's cats." to be more concernedwith letting us know which of In addition to innumerable biographies,autobiog- the collegesof Oxford or Cambridgean ornithologist raphies, and detailed obituaries of individual orni- "went up to" than in evaluating that author's con- thologists,several serious historical works are avail- tributions to science.Personalia (one couldjustifiably able, such as Stresemann's "Ornithology from say "trivia") abound.In his discussionof Ernst Har- Aristotle to the Present" (1975) and Farber's "The teft he states,"His great work 'Die Vogel [= V6gel] Emergenceof Ornithology as a ScientificDiscipline: der Palaarktischen [= Pal•iarktischen] Fauna' al- 1760-1850." I see no reason for anyone to bother thoughwritten in Germanwas largely the resultof reading,much lessbuying, Tate'sparochial and care- work done in England and was one of the most im- lesslyexecuted "literary history."--KENNETI-I C. PARICES. April 1987] Reviews 357

Galapagos,a natural history guide.--Michael H. One of the great strengthsof the Jacksonvolume Jackson.Figures and line drawingsby Monica J.Jack- is the 30-pagetreatment of the plant life of the Ga- son. 1985. Calgary, Alberta, University of Calgary lfipagos.Following a brief summary of the origins Press. xiii + 283 pp., 16 pp. of color plates. ISBN and adaptive radiationsof the flora, there is a well- 0-919813-10-0. Paper, $17.50.--As the numbers of illustrated annotated list of the dominant plants ac- visitors to the enchantingGalfipagos Islands of Ec- cordingto vegetationzone. With this volume in hand uador have swelled to over 20,000 a year, there has the commonestspecies encountered along the road- been a near-parallel blossomingof sober scientific ways leading from the coastto the uplands of the treatises, colorful picture books, and authoritative larger islandscan be identified easily. field guides about this modern-day Mecca of natu- Becausea good deal of a tourist's time is spent in ralists. Michael Jackson(the name alone attracts the interisland travel, with plenty of opportunity to ob- attention of a large popular audience) has written a serve marine mammals,it is a pity more information modest-sized handbook for the layman and experi- on field identification about whales is not provided. enced field naturalist. He summarizes the historical Such information is readily available in figure and background,environmental setting, natural histories tabular form in "Guide to the Identification of East- of plants and animals, and management and conser- ern Pacific Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises"(1982, vation practicesof the GalfipagosNational Park Ser- NOAA Tech. Rept. 444, U.S. Dept. Commerce). For vice. This volume is undoubtedly the premier En- example, no mention is made about frequent sight- glish-language field guide to the Galfipagos!The ings of Bryde'swhale. However, this omissionmight author has made a judiciousselection of information be traceable to the fact that workers in Ecuador, Peru, from the published works of hundreds of scientists, and Chile only recently have distinguishedBryde's which he freely acknowledges. from the sei whale. Among the 13 chapters,several are noteworthy for Over 160 black-and-white photographs are scat- their comprehensivenessand accuracyof informa- tered throughout the text, although a few lack suffi- tion. The 37-page discussionof the problems of col- cient contrast or sharpness to make them useful. onization by founding populations, biological evo- Whatever is lacking here, however, is more than lution, and ecology is lucid and prepares the reader compensatedfor in the 37 colorphotographs grouped for an understandingof the specialattractiveness of before Chapter 1 and providing an eye-catching the Archipelago, especiallythe evolutionary process- smorgasbordof Galfipagania. es bringing about speciesdiversity. It is fitting that Overall, this compact guide makes for pleasant the avifauna, which dominates the biota of the Ga- reading and easylearning. It should serveas a useful lfipagos,should occupythree chapterscovering 68 reference work for the first-time visitor to the Galfi- pages.The discussionis grouped into seabirds,coast- pagosand as an introductory text worthy of a place al birds and migrants,and land birds. Although the in the stacks of public libraries and colleges. After natural-history information is adequate for the un- giving this field guide a 6-week field trial in Febru- initiated observer,the more experiencedbirdwatcher ary-March 1986, ! conclude: don't leave home with- will want to have a specialized handbook available out it!--ROBERT I. BOWMAN. for the identification of confusingspecies of seabirds, e.g.M.P. Harris's (1974) "A Field Guide to the Birds of the Galapagos"(London, Collins). Darwin's finches are treated sensibly without the author becoming involved in suchcontroversial mat- ters as their specific mainland ancestors(which do not exist today) or the role of interspecificcompeti- Immigrant killers: introduced predators and the tion in their speciation and geographical variation. conservationof birds in New Zealand.--Carolyn M. Unfortunately, the author perpetuatesmisinforma- King. 1984.Auckland, New Zealand, Oxford Univer- tion regarding the number of breeding species of sity Press.224 pp., 13 colorplates, 57 black-and-white finches on the remote northwestern island of Darwin plates,40 text figures. ISBN 0-19-558121-0.$35.00.-- (Culpepper).! am the only ornithologistto have spent Since humans first arrived in New Zealand 1,000- time atop the tableland of this formidable volcanic 1,200years ago, 55 taxa of that country'snative birds remnant during the breeding seasonof the birds, have become,or are nearly, extinct. The introduction where only the Warbler Finch and the Sharp-beaked of predatorshas frequently been blamed for most of Ground-Finch occur and breed. Reports of other these extinctions, but the evidence is not at all clear- speciesrelate to vagrants foraging closeto the inter- cut. This uncertainty is due primarily to the inherent tidal region. This point is stressedbecause island difficulty in separating the influences of predation modelers arrive at misleading conclusionsabout en- and habitat destruction on New Zealand's native avi- vironmental factorsregulating the number of species fauna. In this book Carolyn King, who has studied of birds on islands. the biology of New Zealand's introduced mustelids 358 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104 for a number of years,traces the impact of predation author does point out, however, that in certain cir- on native birds and discusseswhat stepsshould be cumstancespredator control may be possible.For ex- taken in the areas of predator control and habitat ample, the New Zealand Wildlife Servicehas elimi- preservationto prevent further extinctions. nated predators on small offshore islands. Rare and The book is divided into seven chapters.In Chap- endangeredspecies from the mainland have been ter I King describesNew Zealand before the arrival placedon these islands for protection. Predator con- of humans and argues that New Zealand's lack of trol mayalso be advisable in situationswhere a species terrestrial predatorsmade native speciesparticularly is extremelyvulnerable to predationbut cannotbe susceptibleto predation by introduced predators. transferredto an offshorepredator-free island. An Human occupationof New Zealand is divided into exampleof such a bird may be the Black Stilt (Hi- three periods,the Polynesianperiod (8th-18th cen- mantopusnovaezealandiae). Because attempts to control turies A.D.), the early Europeanperiod (1769-1884), predatorpopulations are futile, King advocatesthat and the later Europeanperiod (1884-1984).The pred- conservation in New Zealand be concentrated on atorsintroduced during eachperiod and their effects preservingthe remainingnative forest,which is being on the avifauna are presented in Chapters 2-4. In cut rapidly. In addition, conservationistsshould con- Chapter 5 the conservationof New Zealand birds is cern themselveswith controlling populationsof in- discussed,with descriptionsof effortsto saveseveral troduced browsing mammals such as the red deer of the country'sendangered species. In Chapter6 the (Cervuselaphus) and the brush-tailedpossum (Trich- effect predatorsand habitat destructionhave had on osurusvulpecula), which are responsiblefor destroy- New Zealand birds is compared with the effect of ing large areasof native forest.Birds may be able to these factors on birds of Lord Howe Island, the adapt to predation pressure,but no speciescan sur- Hawaiian Islands, Australia, and Britain. The book vive when its environment is rapidly destroyed. concludes with a summary of King's ideas on the "Immigrant Killers" was written primarily for the conservation of New Zealand birds and conservation New Zealandpublic. The conclusionsdrawn, how- in general. ever, are applicableto other locations,and I therefore CarolynKing's major thesis is that bird speciesthat recommendthe book to anyoneinterested in conser- evolveon isolatedpredator-free islands, such as New vation in general and particularly to thoseinterested Zealand, are highly vulnerable to predation by in- in the conservationof island species.Professional troduced predators.King cites examplesof wide- biologists will find the list of references at the spreadextinction of island speciesfrom severallo- end of the book useful for obtaining more detailed cations besidesNew Zealand, including Lord Howe information on examples in the text.--JA•œs B. Island and the Hawaiian Islands.Not all specieson CUNNINGHAM. predator-freeislands are, however, equally vulnera- ble. The degree of vulnerability, King suggests,is due in part to the length of time an islandpopulation has been isolatedfrom its original parental popula- tion. In New Zealandthose species that exhibitedthe greatestdegree of endemismwere usually the first to become extinct when humans and predators ar- A dictionary of neotropical wetlands.--Derek A. rived. The best-known example is the Moas, which Scott and Montserrat Carbonel (Compilers). 1986. are thought to have been isolatedin New Zealand Cambridge, England, IUCN; and Slimbridge, En- sincethe Cenozoic.Most speciesof Moas becameex- gland, IWRB. 684 pp., 8 octavos.Available in En- tinct very soonafter the arrival of humans.King sug- glish and Spanish. ISBN 2-88032-504-8.Order from geststhat those speciesof native birds that are not IUCN ConservationMonitoring Centre, 219c Hun- rare and endangeredhave adaptedto predation pres- tingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, U.K. Paper, œ30 sure. In many casesthese speciesare endemiconly (add œ5for airmail outsideEurope).--This volume is at the genetic,specific, or subspecificlevel, suggest- the resultof remarkablecooperation between scien- ing that their isolationhas not been for very long tists and wildlife managers throughout South and and that they may not have lostall adaptationsagainst CentralAmerica and the Caribbeanin compilingin- predators. formation on one of the world's most threatened King argueseffectively that predatorcontrol is not habitats:wetlands. In the United Stateswe have long an economical method for conserving native New been aware of the need to preserve,or at least reg- Zealand birds because,as statedabove, many of the ulate the use of, areasoœ wet soilsand open water speciesthat remain have adjustedto the predation and the biotas they support. Conservationorganiza- pressure.Therefore, reduction of predatorpopula- tions such as Ducks Unlimited and the Audubon So- tionswill have little if any effecton bird populations. ciety, along with stateand federal governments,have Furthermore,it is not feasibleto kill all predatorsin been active in purchasing wetlands for waterfowl New Zealand, and thus one has the problem of im- habitat (some would say "production"). In many migration from outsidethe area of treatment.The countriesof the Neotropics(with the exceptionof April 1987] Reviews 359 the Caribbean and a few countries in Central Amer- Full scientificnames of bird specieslisted for each ica), the great values of wetland ecosystemshave of the sites are given, but the short vegetation de- largely gone unrecognizedbecause of low human scriptionsusually give only generic names of the population densities. Now that populations in the plants;when specificnames are given, they lack the Southern Hemisphere are increasing,wetland values authorities.This is especiallyimportant in botany, are coming to be appreciated. where there are over 250,000 speciesof flowering In recent years biologists increasingly have be- plants alone, and more important in the diverse and come concerned over habitat destruction in the not often well-studiedtropical floras,where the no- Northern Hemisphere. The vast expanses of un- menclature has not reached the relative stability touched habitat once common in South America are presentin north-temperateEuropean and American now beginning to be eroded,and are threatenedby botany. forest clearing for roads, hydroelectric projects, Butthat is mere niggling:the compilershave taken "agroforestry"operations, and simplepopulation ex- a vast amount of information, set it in order, and pansion. As South America develops its economic produceda work that is an excellentsource of basic potentialover the next century,the samehabitat de- information on potential researchareas, and a source structionand developmentalpressures on wetlands bookfor moredetailed information (respondent's ad- will occur.In an effort to cataloguebasic information dresses and an annotated checklist of the waterfowl aboutthese valuable Southern Hemisphere habitats, speciesdealt with are included in appendices).Taken Scott and Carbonel obtained wetland-habitat infor- in its entirety, the volume is an excellentdescription mation from their "national networks of contacts," of the present stateof a vital portion of the environ- individuals and institutions, and the recent litera- ment of the Southern Hemisphere.--MIcHAEI•WM. ture. As an aside,the publishersare to be commend- LEFOR. ed for making both English and Spanisheditions of this volume available. Too often we in the Northern Hemisphere do not make our investigationsavail- able to our southerncolleagues. The majorwetland sites in eachof the 45 neotrop- ical countriesare listed.Each site is decribedby name, location,area, biogeographic province, habitat types, The Ring-billed Gull in Ontario: a review of a sitedescriptions, general vegetation, land-ownership new problem species.--H. Blokpoel and G. D. Tes- status,degree of protection afforded the fauna, and sjer. 1986.Occasional Paper No. 57, CanadianWild- land-useeffects. An accountof the use of the area by life Service,Ottawa, Ontario.34 pp. ISBN 0-662-14302- waterfowl,and other significantfauna dependenton 7; ISSN 0576-6370.No price given.--This disturbing the wetlandhabitat (and somenot, especiallyif rare), reportbegins with a currentand accuratedescription threats to the area, research and conservation areas, of the breeding range of Larusdelawarensis and a dis- recent literature citations, and names of individuals cussionof the population changesthat have occurred providing the informationfor the site are given. An in the Great Lakes region. This part of the report outline map showing the locationsof each site cov- displaysthe scientificquality we have cometo expect ered is provided for each country, and is keyed to of CanadianWildlife Servicepublications. Unfortu- the text. nately,much of the documentresembles a witch-hunt Scott and Carbonel have chosen to focus on the where the authors attempt unsuccessfullyto prove values of wetlands that are of benefit to waterfowl, the Ring-billed Gull is a seriouspest that must be for waterfowl are goodindicators of wetland habitat, controlled range-wide, though they admit "... there and, further, waterfowl are the only group of higher are very few reportsthat adequatelydocument" Ring- fauna on the globe that may migrate between the bills as public enemy number one. wetlands of both hemispheresor migrate within As the authorsdescribe the typesof problemsRing- hemispheres.For the purposesof the dictionary"the bills might cause, their enthusiasm about being the term [waterfowl] has been restricted to wetland first to describean "imminent plague" and fabricat- speciesof the Gaviidae, Podicipedidae,Pelecanidae, ing a plan for saving the world from this threat al- Phalacrocoracidae,Anhingidae, Ciconiidae, Thres- most convincesthe reader that a problem has been kiornithidae, Phoenicopteridae,Anhimidae, Anati- provedto exist. Their approachis reminiscentof ar- dae, Opisthocomidae,Gruidae, Aramidae, Rallidae, gumentspresented by many stateand federal pred- Heliornithidae,Eurypygidae, Jacanidae, Rostratuli- ator-controlspecialists whose primary concernwas dae, Haematopodidae,Charadriidae, Scolopacidae, keeping themselvesemployed by eliminating pest Recurvirostridae, Phalaropodidae, Laridae, and species.If you show a speciesmay affect agriculture, Rhynchopodidae."Species of pelicans,cormorants, human health, safety, or other human-relateden- and gulls confined solely to marine systemsand deavors, the probabilities are increased that funds Spheniscidae, Procellariiformes, Phaethontidae, Su- will be provided to study the problem. lidae, Fregatidae, and Stercorariidaeare excluded. The authors attempt to show that the "Ring-bill 360 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104 problem"is far from peakingbecause the population ism to generate sufficientfear among readersto jus- is still exploding.They concludeerroneously that re- tify action. Pet owners probably have far greater productivesuccess is higher than in the 1950'sbe- health risk from contactwith their dogsand catsthan causethey include Fetterolf's figures (1983, Wilson the average person does becausegulls might visit Bull. 95: 23-41) in their calculations,which may be park lawns. The authors refer to Toronto beaches viewed with suspicion.Furthermore, most of the being closed becauseof high Escherichiacoli counts studiescited followed survival through only 21-23 even though this problem was traced to the sewer days of nest life, not the >35 days required before system,not the gulls (Fetterolf 1983, unpubl. rept., first flight. The number of fledglings produced an- Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Au- nually is perhapsmore than 20% lower than they thority). They also refer to two seriousoutbreaks of calculate.They also fail to cite and place in perspec- histoplasmosisat Rogers City, Michigan, without tive published evidence showing the potentially giving details sufficient for evaluating the level of devastatingeffects of predatorsand human distur- risk. My studentsand I have worked at this gull col- banceon Ring-billed Gull reproductivesuccess. Sur- ony for 25 years, as have others. In the one class prisingly, they fail to considerthe effectsof Great incident that Blokpoel and Tesslet cite, one student Lakeswater levels, which have been rising for sev- out of six was diagnosedas having histoplasmosis, eral years and are now at an all-time high. Some is- althoughthe othershad coldlikesymptoms. The fun- lands used by larids are now entirely underwater, gusHistoplasma capsulatum has been isolated from soils and most others have been reducedin size. Blokpoel from this colony (see Southern 1986, Colonial Wa- and Tessierignore the possibilitythat some of the terbirds9: 121-123).With properprecautions it is not Ring-bills they report establishingnew mainland considered a threat to human health in this area, ac- coloniesactually have moved from inundated islands cording to investigatorsfrom the Communicable Dis- and, therefore, should not be considered as new easeCenter who visited the site following the second breedersresulting from the "ongoingpopulation ex- outbreakcited by Blokpoel and TessJer. plosion."The importanceof cyclicchanges in water Ring-bills also are blamed by the authors for de- levels cannot be overlooked when estimating rates stroyingearthworm populations in farm fields. The of populationgrowth and plotting changesin distri- authorsmay be attemptingto identifya problem,even butional patterns. where none now exists.They cite, and then ignore, Blokpoel and Tesslet alert us to several problems a detailedstudy by Cuendet (1979,Ph.D. dissertation, concerningRing-bills, but none of these are unique Lausanne, Switzerland, Univ. Lausanne), who con- to this species.I will commenton four of theseas I cluded that "If food is not limiting, yearly produc- have experiencedthem. tion of earthworms seemsequal to biomass. .. and Gullsas hazards to aircraft.--Thisis neither a recent 100%of the biomasscan be yearly destroyedwithout problem nor one unique to Ring-billed Gulls. Gulls depleting earthworm populations." Farmers who are the primary avian hazardto aircraftat mostcoast- voiceconcern about gulls eatingworms probablygive al airports. Proceduresare available for dispersing no thoughtto the numberskilled by their equipment gulls from airportsand for making the airport envi- or pesticides.The authors refer to other possible ronment lessattractive to birds. For years,Blokpoel damage to agriculture but point out "it is not well (see Blokpoel and Fetterolf 1978, Bird-Banding49: documented." 59-65) has studied the establishment of the large There is something for everyone with a cause in Ring-bill colony in Toronto Harbor, which is now this report.The authorsalso elude to Ring-billed Gull suddenly recognized as a hazard to aircraft. Even conflictswith other bird species.Without question, thoughBlokpoel wrote a bookentitled "Bird Hazards the Caspian Tern (Sternacaspia), Common Tern (S. to Aircraft" (1976, Toronto, Clarke, Irwin and Co.) hirundo),and Piping Plover (Charadriusmelodus) are after this colony began in 1973, he made no pub- in low numbers in the Great Lakes region. All blame lished recommendationthat it be destroyeduntil re- for this situation,however, should not be placedon cently, nor was the Ring-bill identified as a special the Ring-billed Gull. The Caspian Tern population hazarduntil 1984(paper presentedat the 17th meet- was low before the Ring-bill populationshowed sig- ing of the Bird Strike Committee Europe, Rome, Ita- nificant increases.To my knowledge, no cause-and- ly). The gull problem at airports is not recent, and effect relationship has been shown. CaspianTerns proceduresare availableto controlit on a local basis. are able to nest among Ring-bills without serious There is no need to elevatethe issueto one requiring problemsprovided there is little or no human dis- range-wide reductionin Ring-billed Gull population turbance.As Blokpoel and Tesslet point out, gulls size. may damagetern eggswhen they are exposedwhen Hazardsto humanhealth.--The potential existsfor a people are present.Because most CaspianTern col- health problemwhenever wildlife and human pop- onies are away from human settlements,the princi- ulations overlap. Usually, the level of risk is low, as pal visitorsprobably are researchers.The solutionin seems to be the case around gull concentrations. this caseappears simple to me. Blokpoeland Tessletappear to invoke sensational- In the Midwest, most Common Tern colonies are April 1987] Reviews 361 now restricted to Great Lakes sites, but in the past $24.95.--Gordon Orians has studied New World terns also nested on islands in some of the larger blackbirds (Emberizidae, Icterinae) for over two de- inland lakes. Plant succession and human habitation cadesand has played an important role in the de- of such islands,however, forced a declining Com- velopmentof many key theoriesin behavioralecol- mon Tern population into direct competition for ogy. In this book,Orians describes the resultsof his nesting spacewith a growing Ring-billed Gull pop- own and others' studiesof blackbirdsfor a general ulation. Nest-site availability for Common Terns is audienceand shareswith nonspecialistshis insights also severely affected by high Great Lakes water into the causesof bird behavior. Orians's writing is levels. It is inaccurate,therefore, to place complete relaxed and sometimesconversational as he conveys blame for the Common Tern's plight on the Ring- his enthusiasmfor his researchand its subjects.The billed Gull. If sufficient concern exists for the Com- text is complementedby 73 black-and-white draw- mon Tern, why not create dredge spoil islands for ingsby Tony Angell of over 60 blackbirdspecies, and them and obtain the necessaryfunds to managesites by severalmaps, spectrograms, and photographsof specificallyfor this species(which might include lo- habitats.One appendix gives the scientificnames of cal gull control)? The Piping Plover situation re- speciesmentioned in the text, and a secondtabulates ferred to by Blokpoeland Tessieris similar. Its pre- information about the spacing patterns, sexual di- dicament is related to increased rates of human morphism,habitats, food, and breeding behavior of recreationon beacheswhere it nests.The plover's 94 blackbird species. breeding range was restricted in the 1950's before The illustrations are generally well reproduced. gull numbers increased.Plovers declined further as Angell's drawings illustrate a diversity of species, massesof people invaded the more remote beaches. often in display posturesor behavioral interactions. Unless we are equally willing and capableof recog- His style is particularly effectivefor illustrating birds nizing and controllingthe impactsof our own species with black plumages,and the result is pleasing to on thesesensitive species, we are not in a positionto the eye and effectivein conveyinginformation. Oc- recommendwidespread population control for Ring- casionally,a species'"normal" body shapeis lost be- bills. Addressinggull problemson a case-by-caseba- causethe artistselected a view of the dynamicnature sis and applying local control when necessary,as of behavior rather than a standard field-guide pos- typically is done now, is preferable to an interna- ture. Black-and-whiteillustrations also obscurekey tional effort "... to reducethe Ring-billed Gull pop- differencesamong some species(e.g. most illustra- ulation in the Great Lakes area (i.e. Great Lakes and tions of Tricolored Blackbirds look identical to those the St. Lawrence River down to Trois-Rivi•res) to an of Red-winged Blackbirds).One must question the acceptablelevel," as is advocatedby Blokpoel and decisionnot to include color plates, particularly be- Tessier. causethe group includes some extraordinarily col- Blokpoeland Tessierappear perplexed by the lack orful members and an entire chapter is devoted to of concernregarding the "Ring-billed Gull prob- the functions of coloration. Overall, Angell's illus- lems" they identify. They state (p. 27), "Unfortu- trations are accurateand add greatly to the text. nately, there are very few reports that adequately The 12 chapterssequentially examine the phylog- documentthe hazardsto flight safetyand to public eny of the group, and its foraging behavior,spacing health, or the damage to agriculture, industry, and patterns, nesting behavior, coloration, and display tourism." Reportsare sure to appear in responseto behavior. For most subjects, Orians first discusses Blokpoeland Tessier'swidely distributedreport, and current theoreticalconcepts and then usesa compar- the resourceagencies will have to show the public ative approachto examinehow particularpatterns of they are doing something. The only good news is social organization are related to different environ- that this fervid attitudeabout Ring-billed Gulls prob- mental variables. The final chapter is an epilogue ably will losefavor, as did the widespreadconcerns giving Orians'sphilosphical perspectives on the goals aboutthe "blackbirdproblem." It is time that we stop of science,on aesthetics,and on the importanceof thinking in terms of conquestof nature instead of preservingtropical habitats. consideringourselves part of nature.Our fight against Blackbirds are ideal for comparative studies be- nature is, in many ways, a war against ourselves.- causethey exhibit many different patterns of social WILLIAM E. SOUTHERN. organization and occupya diversity of habitats. In- deed,the majorstrength of this bookis Orians'scom- parative approachin evaluating competing hypoth- esesabout the evolution of behavior. For example, he advancesa convincing argument that the spacing patterns of blackbirds are related to the various hab- Blackbirds of the Americas.--Gordon H. Orians. itats they exploit and to the potential that those hab- Illustrated by Tony Angell. 1985. Seattle, Washing- itats offer for food and nesting sites.Another exam- ton, University of WashingtonPress. 164 pp., 101fig- ple of Orians'suse of the comparativemethod is his ures, 12 tables, 2 appendices. ISBN 0-295-96253-4. argument that the role each sex adoptsin nesting is 362 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104 a consequenceof the temporal availability of food experts. Nonetheless, he departs from the A.O.U. resources.He alsopresents a cogentdiscussion of the Check-list (supposedlybased on the opinions of ex- relationship between the degree of sexual size di- perts)in his referencesto certain species(e.g., "Bal- morphism of a speciesand its spacingpattern and timore" Orioles) and even the statusof the group as mating system. In another interesting comparison, the family Icteridae. Although many, including my- Orians arguesthat the acousticproperties of different sell might agree with this departure, I think a gen- species'songs are related to the sizes of territories eral readerwould be interestedin the evidencesys- that males defend. tematists used in reconstructing the evolution of Orians attemptsto discussmost of the "hot" topics blackbirds. in behavioral ecology.In addition, he addressessub- Overall, I think a general audiencewill enjoy the jects that are particularly pertinent to the study of book and will value Orians's discussion of some of blackbirds(e.g. the evolution of brood parasitismin the questionscurrently being addressedin behavior- cowbirds).A few important subjectssuch as inter- al ecology.I fear, however,that a lay personmay get specificvariation in clutch size are not discussed.Al- the impressionthat we have many more of the an- though I did not find any majorfactual errors, a num- swers to these questionsthan we actually do. The ber of omissions and contradictions do exist. For bookalso will be usefulas a library sourcefrom which example, Orians states(p. 133) that "Immature male undergraduatescan see how comparativestudies are plumagesare prevalent amongspecies with polygy- used to addresshypotheses about the evolution of nous mating systems.... "The data in the appendix, behavior. Specialistswill be disappointed with the however, show that immature male plumagesare lack of documentationand thus may conclude that equally commonin polygynousand in monogamous many of Orians'sarguments are speculative. species.Orians also makes several perhaps overly My impressionis that the publicationof this book broadgeneralizations, extrapolating from Red-winged may be premature. As Orians frequently points out, Blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds to the whole the information required to answer particular ques- group. Undoubtedly, specialistswill question the tions is not yet available becauseso little is known usefulnessof severalof these generalizations.More- aboutmany tropical species.As yet there is no formal over, I think actual data (if it were available) might comparativestudy of blackbirdscovering the range refute some of them. of speciesand the scopeof topics dealt with in the Some of my strongestcriticisms of this book are book. I agree therefore with Orians's sentiment that, probablythe responsibilityof the publisher. Orians's with tropical habitats disappearingrapidly, there is "free-flowing" style often results in sentencesthat no time to waste if we are ever to know the secrets are awkward and confusing. Moreover, I found the of evolutionary biology hidden in the natural histo- discussionsof severaltheoretical topics (e.g. optimal ries of tropical blackbirds.--T•ota^s E. DIC•CI•SO•. foraging) so brief that they will probably causecon- fusion for a reader with little scientific training. A few inconsistenciesin the use of species'common names exist, and several spelling mistakes and ty- pographicalerrors occur. Finally, the index is too Bird etchings. The illustrators and their books, short. Certain key subjects,such as predation,are not 1655-1855.--Christine E. Jackson. 1985. Ithaca, New included, although they are central to Orians'sdis- York, and London, Cornell University Press.294 pp. cussionof several topics. ISBN 0-8014-1695-7. Cloth, $55.00.--In book manu- Another major weaknessof the book is the small facture and hence in "bird art," etching historically bibliography.Only 130 referencesare included,many followed the woodcut and precededthe stone litho- of which are highly theoreticalworks for specialists. graph in printing multiple illustrations.In all of them Several key referencesto early work on North Amer- coloringwas done by hand, copyby copy."Etching" ican species(e.g. Nero 1963, Wilson Bull. 75: 376- in the senseof this book meansany inked impression 413; Orians and Christman 1968, Univ. California from a metal plate, whether engraved with a tool, Publ. Zool. 84: 1-81) are omitted, as are some very etched by acid through lines drawn in a protective readable articles in review journals (e.g. Searcyand coat,or modifiedby suchrelatives of theseprocesses Yasukawa 1983, Amer. Sci. 71: 166-174). References asstipple and aquatint.These arts were pricedto force to field guides for many of the tropical blackbirds all but the most affluent to self-instruction. would be useful. Orians gives no sourcesfor the in- Although the title does not say so, all but one of formation usedin composingAppendix B. In all fair- the ornithologistsand illustratorstreated in this book ness,much of this information is probably from his are British.They are FrancisWillughby and JohnRay, personal observationsof tropical blackbirds. How- Eleazar Albin, Mark Catesby, George Edwards, ever, the lack of sufficient documentation will affect ThomasPennant, William Hayes, John Latham, John the view specialistswill have of this book. For ex- Walcott, William Lewin, JamesBolton, Edward Don- ample, in his brief discussionof blackbird phyloge- ovan, George Graves, Prideaux John Selby, and Sir ny, Orians asks the reader to trust the opinions of William Jardine, with their various artists, etchers, April 1987] Reviews 363 and colorists if different. Audubon is also treated, Thus, because no ornithological assistanceis ac- becauseof the unexcelled aquatints of the Robert knowledged,it was a pleasantsurprise to find the Havells, Sr. and Jr., that distinguishhis work. identities and names of birds (based on the A.O.U. But there is nothing here of the much larger body Check-list, 5th ed., latest B.O.U. list, etc.) in all but a of work by the many continentalornithological writ- few cases. ers and artistsof the period, the Levaillants,Buffohs, This book should be useful in research libraries Daubentons, Audeberts, Brissons, Bechsteins, Nau- with majorornithological content or comprehensive manns, Susemihls, and so on. print collections.I recommendit alsoto seriousstu- After a brief backgroundreview of the artists,en- dents of the history of bird painting and of orni- graversand etchers,authors, patrons, specimens, and thology.--ROBERTM. MENGEL. publication methods,with four appendices(one on methodsof metal engravingis mostrelevant and in- structive),come chapters on eachof the authorsmen- tioned above.Several are outstandingfigures in or- nithologicalhistory and othersought to be familiar to experienced American ornithologists. (Albin, Hayes,Walcott, Bolton, Graves, and Donovan might Catesby's birds of colonial America.--Alan Fe- not be.) duccia(Ed.). Chapel Hill, University of North Caro- The book is written as historyand clearly restson lina Press.176 pp., 16 color plates, 109 black-and- considerablescholarship, often including previously white illustrations, 1 map. ISBN 0-8078-1661-2. unexaminedoriginal sources.Yet it is pleasantlyfree $29.95.--The first publicationillustrating birds for a of obtrusivepedantry and excessivedocumentation. large region of the New World was Mark Catesby's Notes occur at the end, with selectedgeneral and "The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the chapterbibliographies. I found only one typograph- Bahama Islands," published in 11 20-plate install- ical error. ments between 1731 and 1743. As a collector for his The author'schoices of area and subjectlimit per- patronsin Britain, Catesbyhad studied the plants, spective. They preclude definitive evaluation of insects,and vertebratesof this region. In 1974 the etchedbird art for the period, much lessof ornithol- Beehive Press of Savannah, Georgia, produced a ogy, and hamper her occasionalefforts in these di- beautiful facsimile edition of this work. It is available rections. now from the JohnsonReprint Corporation (111 Fifth Within the areaof reasonableexpectations, she does Avenue, New York, New York 10003) at a cost of very well. Interesting human portraits and piquant $575 for a boxed set. discoveriesemerge. We learn, for instance,of Albin's In the presentvolume, editor Feducciahas includ- quaint way of mixing vermilion (one of the ingre- ed beautiful color reproductionsof 20 plates and dients being boys' urine), and of Hayes' heartbreak- black-and-whitereproductions of all 109 of Catesby's ing effortsto rear 10 (of 21 "legitimate") offspring to platesof birds;the latter are severelyreduced in size. maturity.We find JohnLatham, the mostprolific sys- The original text has been lightly edited and set in tematic ornithologist of his or perhaps of any time, modern type. vigorous and working at 95; and William Lewin il- After Catesby'stext describingeach species of bird, lustratingall 160copies (there was complaintthat he its habits,and thoseof the plants depictedwith the did not issue more) of his birds of Britain, with 271 bird, Feducciaprovides extra generalinformation and originalwatercolor paintings each, and still living to historical notes that add perspective.He includes etch most of them for a second edition. With the quotationsfrom JohnLaWSOh'S "New Voyage to Car- chapterson the gifted Selby and his extraordinarily olina" (1709), Alexander Wilson's "American Orni- entrepreneurialfriend Jardine,Jackson provides an thology" (1808-1814),and John JamesAudubon's excitingview of a vibrant time in ornithologicalhis- "Birds of America" (1827-1838). We learn, for in- tory. stance,that Catesbytook much information from While muchof their graphicwork (well illustrated Lawsonand that seven plates (none of them birds) by 4 colorplates and 76 monochromefigures) is near- wereplagiarized versions of illustrationsmade in the ly primitive to mediocreto quaint, Jackson'ssubjects 16th centuryby JohnWhite. To help the reader,the emergeas interestingmembers of what with attrac- sequenceof the platesis mostlythe modernorder, tive insight she termsa cottageindustry (and I sub- and the currentEnglish and scientificnames are pro- mit perhapspeculiarly British): people of often mod- vided. It is soberingto realize that Catesby'swork est means and minimal training united by intense preceded Carolus Linnaeus's 10th edition of the motivation and awesomestamina in producingillus- "SystemaNaturae." Feducciahas made Catesby's trated bird booksand related natural history. contributionsto 18th-centurynatural scienceavail- Biologistsavoid the phrase"birds and animals" able at a moderatecost to studentsof the history of consistentlyused by Jackson,nor, probably,would ornithologyand scientificillustration. I recommend one call the index of bird names"avifaunal species." the book highly.--FRm•CKSC. J•MKS. 364 Reviews [Auk, Vol. 104

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST equally important to be made available for readersof the Hungarian language.--M. D. F. UDV^RDY. Fauna CSSR: Ptaci, vol. 3(1-2).--Karel Hudec (Ed.). 1983. Prague, Academia. 1,234 pp., 29 color plates. Cloth, 180 Kcs.--The appearancein 1983 of vol. 3 in Dinamica si migratia pasarilor [Movements and 2 parts completes this momentous handbook of migrations of birds].--Victor Ciochia. 1984. Bucha- Czechoslovak birds. Volume 1, published in 1972, rest, Rumania, Editura Stiintifica si Enciclopedica.346 coveredGaviidae through Pandionidae;vol. 2, pub- pp., 200 figures. Price 19 lei.--A hardcover,pocket- lished in 1977, dealt with Falconidae through Co- size handbook for banders.The introductory chapter lumbidae. This volume follows the format of earlier relatesthe historyof bird banding,worldwide as well volumes, with the addition of maps depicting the as in Rumania, and its importance for faunistics,pop- breeding and wintering distribution of all species ulation dynamics, and conservationis stressed.Next, treated. The text follows a standard handbook format the technicalities of banding are described in great with paragraphson characterizationof speciesand detail: where, when, and how to catch the subjects subspeciesin Czechoslovakia,measurements of Czech of banding. Good drawings illustrate the mist net, specimens,behavior and vocalization,distribution in the Heligoland trap, variousbaited traps, catchernets, the CSSR, habitat requirements, movements, breed- and the bands used in Rumania. Linear and other ing biology, and food. The volume concludeswith measurements,fatness scale, deparasitizing, and safe 19 color plates of the speciescovered in vol. 3, in- releasemethods highlight the methodologicalchap- cluding femalesand iramatureswhere different,and ter. The bulk of the book is a checklist with identi- 10 colorphotographs of the eggsof thesesame species. fication keys for terrestrial and wetland birds (wa- A summaryin German makessome of the informa- terfowl and upland birds are excluded)important in tion in this volume available to non-Czech lin- the banding program.Each species is describedbrief- guists.--WARRENB. KING. ly with measurementsand distinguishingmarks (dif- ficult speciesor their key characteristicsare often il- lustratedwith adequateline drawings). A few words describe characteristic habits and habitats. The book is written in Rumanian, which is rela- Madhrfiko16gia[Bird ecology].--Lajos Sasvfiri. 1986. tively easy to follow if the reader knows some ele- Budapest,Hungary, AcademicPublisher. 2 volumes, mentary French, Italian, or Spanish. Thus, birding 167 + 162 pp., 21 + 26 figures.ISBN 963-05-3919-5. visitorsto the Danube Delta, or to the rugged, beau- No price given.--A surge of interest in nature con- tiful TransylvanianAlps, might make good use of servation,birding, bird banding, and scientificor- this nice book. It certainly enhancesbanding in Ru- nithology, foremost among the younger generation mania, so important for our international science.-- of Hungarians, has created a need to interpret the M. D. F. UDV^RD¾. elementsof bird ecologyfor the educatedpublic. Dr. Sasv•ri's books fill this need. The first of the pocket- size softback volumes deals with distributional ecol- ogy and the methodsused to censusand assessbird populations.Energetics at the autecologicallevel, food The fall of a sparrow.--Sfilim Ali. 1985.Delhi, In- and feeding strategies,and finally, defensemecha- dia, Oxford University Press.xv + 265 pp. ISBN 0-19- nisms of avian prey are discussed.The secondvol- 561837-8. Cloth, $16.95.--No one has contributed more ume deals with the biology of reproduction,popu- to our knowledge of the birds of India and Pakistan, lation dynamics(including r and K selection),and aswell asto their protection,than hasS•lim All. Now basic synecologicaltopics such as predator-prey re- 90 yearsold, he was persuadedby his friends to pub- lations,competition, symbiosis, niche, and habitat re- lish some reminiscences, and the present volume lations. All chaptersare presentedwith a rendering proves what a splendid idea this was. of the conceptsand paradigmsof modern evolution- S•lim All, the youngestof nine children, grew up ary ecologyand ethologyas we knew them in the in a well-to-do, closely knit, liberal Mohammedan 1970'sand early 1980's.Most examplesand many of family in Bombay.Although destined for a business, the conclusionsare taken from the European litera- his love for birds resulted, after some trials and errors, ture, but some 30% of the references are from the in an ornithological career. By an act of fate the un- United States.Much of the contemporary ecological known and inexperienced34-yr-old S•lim decidedin terminology is presentedin its original (English or 1929 to get his ornithological training in Berlin un- Latin) form, while others are supplanted by well- der Stresemann,and this pricelessexperience changed chosenHungarian expressions.We hope the author his life. In October 1931 Sillira Ali started his first continues this valuable work with further volumes ornithological survey of a poorly known region of on ecologyand ethology of migration, the methods the Indian peninsulaand has continuedsuch surveys and results of which are not yet covered but are of the Indian subcontinentalmost to the present.They April 1987] Reviews 365 led him from the deserts of Sind, to Afghanistan, cally, and Phillips is exceedinglyfree with observa- Tibet, and the jungles of Assam,and resulted in his tions, rebuttals, and remarks of his own. This makes unrivaled knowledge of the birds of the region. In for very colorful reading in variouspassages. due time this knowledge was made available in a The volumesare somethingof a classic,but clearly series of articles and books, culminating in the 10- from another era. There is a charm in their datedhess, volume "Handbook of the Birds of India and Paki- a considerable amount of information, and a tremen- stan,"for which Dillon Ripley did the systematicpart dous reservoir of historical detail in these pages.-- and Sfilim All did the descriptionsof ecologyand A.H.B. life histories. "The Fall of a Sparrow" is not a well-organized biographybut a fascinatingset of reminiscences.In The distribution of the birds of California.--Jo- the courseof his long life SilliraAli encounteredmost seph Grinnell and Alden H. Miller. 1944 (reprinted of the ornithological greatsof his period, including 1986).Cooper Ornithol. Soc.,Pacific Coast Avifauna Stresemann,Meinertzhagen, Whistler, J. B. S. Hal- No. 27.615 pp., 57 maps.Order from Artemisia Press, dane, and David Lack, and he describes them with P.O. Box 119, Lee Vining, California 93541. ISBN humor, frankness,and psychologicalperceptiveness. 0-932347-01-0.Cloth, $25.00; paper, $18.00.--A re- Thosewho knew the unforgettableLok Wan Tho will print of a legendaryvolume. This volume is still a appreciate the sensitive account of this wonderful benchmark for studies of the distribution and occur- person.Mary and Dillon Ripley are among his clos- rence of the birds of California. A single plate, re- estfriends, and on manyexpeditions shared the camp producedin blackand white, illustrates8 subspecies life with him. Most of the work was under the aus- of Song Sparrowsin the state. The text epitomizes picesof the BombayNatural History Society,an or- the use of trinomials,a specialityof the "Berkeley ganization that has done much for the knowledge School."Habitat descriptionsare unmatched(a Mil- and protectionof Indian wildlife. Eventually Sillira ler speciality)and providea baselinefor studieson Ali's meritswere duly recognizedand he was award- environmental change in our most populous state.-- ed numerousmedals, honorary degrees,and other A.H.B. honors,including the J. Paul GettyInternational Prize for Wildlife Conservation.Deservedly so, becauseit was surely he, more than anyone else, who made FraserDarling's islands.--JohnMorton Boyd.1986. India conscious of wildlife conservation. Even a non- New York, Columbia University Press (for Edin- ornithologistcan enjoy this volume, with its vivid burgh University Press).vii + 252 pp., 32 photos, descriptions of the Indian landscape and people.- numeroussmall maps.ISBN 0-85224-514-9.$25.00.-- ERNST MAYR. This volume, in the words of the author, "is not in- tended to be a biography." Instead it is a "portrait" told in greatpart by quotationsfrom FraserDarling's books,journals, and letters. The author's words pro- vide continuity and perspective. A natural history of the ducks.--John C. Phillips. FraserDarling was a widely known conservation- 1986. New York, Dover Publications, Inc. 1,920 pp. ist and returned to Scotlandfrequently. This book in 4 volumes, bound as 2; 176 plates. ISBN 0-486- recordsa time when he was happy there and con- 25141-1 and 0-486-25142-X. $100.00 for the set.--A cerned vitally with its preservation.He influenced reprint facsimile edition of Phillips's classic (re- stronglythe effortsto understandand preservethe viewed 1923, Auk 40: 356). Unlike Bent (1923), Johns- natural history of this portion of the world.--A.H.B. gard (1975),and Palmer (1976:vols. 2, 3), coverageis worldwide, but limited to the Anatidae. The reproduction is complete and unabridged, but Birds of South Africa 1: Kruger National Park.- the numbering sequence of the color plates is Kenneth Newman. 1981. Johannesburg,South Afri- changed. Illustrations include works by Brooks, ca, Macmillan. xii + 242 pp., 106 color plates. ISBN Fuertes,and Benson.The systematicsis often outdat- 0-86954-103-X. Available from ISBS, Inc., 5602 NE ed, but Phillips foresaw many changesin numbers HassaloStreet, Portland, Oregon 97213 USA. $14.50.-- becauseof environmental changes,hunting pres- This is a reissue of a volume first published in 1980 sure, and human interference. For some extinct or and reprinted in 1981. It illustrates438 speciesin a nearly extinctforms much of the natural-historydata seriesof plates,plus the Ostrich on the back dustcov- are irreplaceable. Other material includes descrip- er. The speciesaccounts are accompaniedby small tions of plumagefor all age classes,distributions, and distributional maps, and there are two larger maps a broad variety of general habits. For many species with place names and major vegetationareas. The the "food value," behavior in captivity, and hybrids accountsinclude status and range,a brief description are included. A considerable proportion of the text of eachbird and its habitat,possibly confusing species, is anecdotal.Numerous quotes are accepteduncriti- and voice. 366 Reviews [Auk,Vol. 104

The plates often are crowded, but include scales boldface,subheadings are in lightface. The new for- for size comparisons.Color morphs,immature plum- mat reducesconsiderably the blanknessaround fig- ages,sexual dimorphisms, some display postures,and ures. The text of the speciesaccounts is essentially flight patterns are shown for many species.A small descriptive,and there are only minor changesfrom glossaryand index of common namesare included. the first edition.The print quality of Gillmor'sblack- This would be a handy guide for visitors to this and-white renditionsis improved markedly. large park.--A.H.B. There are three new color plates,but preciouslittle update of the references. The numbered figures, mostly entitled "Presumedrelationships of .... "are Crows of the world.--Derek Goodwin. Illustra- essentially unchanged. Goodwin does not indicate tions by Robert Gillmot. 1986. Second ed. London, how thesediagrams were derived; presumablythey British Museum Natural History. 229 pp., 6 color are pictorial representationsof his opinions and ex- plates,numerous unnumbered text figuresand maps. perience.The indicesof commonand scientificnames ISBN 0-565-00979-6. Cloth, $30.00.--This is a new are retained. edition of a classic volume on the world's corvids The strength of this volume is still its broad and (reviewed in 1978, Auk 95: 210-211). It is noticeably even-handedcovering of a difficult family. There is shorter (150 pp.) becauseof the introduction of a no better single sourceof information on crows.-- double-column format. There are a variety of other A.H.B. style changes: references to authors' names are in

DATEOF ISSUE (Vol. I04, No. 2): 20 April 1987