Vol. XXXVII]
192o]
Recent
Literature.
475
Kirke Swann's 'Synoptical List of the Accipitres.'•--Part IV of this
work brings it to a conclusionand from the preface which accompanies
it we learn that it is largely based upon the late Dr. Bowdler-Sharpe's
'Catalogue of the Accipitres in the British Museum,' the author's annotated copy with his additions having been accessibleto Mr. Swann;
and also upon Mr. W. L. Sclater's manuscript list of the specimensin
the Museum. While the author usessubspeciesextensively he does not
seemto recognizeintergradation as the criterion upon which they must be
distinguishedfrom speciessincehe recognizesthree 'species
• of our American Sparrow Hawks, all of which are usually regardedas subspeciesof
sparverius.
He also considersthat the dark Gyrfalconswhich visit Canada in winter
as young of F. rusticoluscandicansrather than true rust•colus.
While Mr. Swann'slittle work summarizesour presentsystematicknowledgeof the Accipitresit seemsto indicate that much has still to be accomplished before we are preparedto satisfactorilymonographthe group.-W.S.
Bibliography of British Ornithology.2--The third part of the 'BiographicalBibliographyof British Ornithology'by Messrs.Mullens, Swarm
and Jourdain contains the contributions to county ornithology from
Middlesexto Surry. One will gain someidea of the extent of the literature relating to the birds of the English counties when he finds that for
Norfolk alone the authors have listed 600 titles, while the number of addi-
tions eachyear is constantlyincreasing. Few of our statescan showsuch
a bibliography while many of our counties are without any ornithological
notes whatever.
This
work
serves as an excellent
illustration
of the
extent of intensive study of birds in Great Britian and the vast number
of personswho are interested and capable of publishing local notes of
value. Part four completesEngland and begins Wales.--W. S.
Brook's
'The
Buzzard
at Home.'•--This
little
brochure is entitled
"British Birds PhotographicSeries" and is apparently the first of the
series. It consistsof twelve excellent half-tone reproductionsof photo-
graphsof the EuropeanBuzzard,its nestand young,with fourteenpages
• A Synoptical List Of the Accipitres
conidae and Pandiones.
By It. I•irke
1920.
Price
(Diurnal Birds O! Prey).
Part IV. FalSwan.
London: John Wheldon & Co.,
4s.
2 A Geographical Bibliography of British Ornithology from the Earliest Times
to the end of 1918. Arranged under Counties, being a Record of Printed Books,
Published Articles, Notes and Records Relating to Local Avifauna.
By W. It.
Mullens, It. Kirke Swarm and Rev. F. R. 12. Jourdain.
Witherby & 12o., 326
High Holborn, London.
1920. Part 3, 193-288; Part 4,289-384.
Price6s. net.
per part.
• The Buzzard
at Home.
By Arthur
London: Witherby & 12o. Price 3/6.
Brook,
with
12 photographic
plates.
476
[Auk
Recent
Literature.
LJuly
of text by Mr. Brook describingthe habits of the birds and his experiences
in photographing
them. The wholeformsan attractive and interesting
contributionto the life history of this hawk, likely to lead othersinto the
field of bird photographyand the study of the living birds in which the
author seemsto be an adept.--W. S.
The
Nebraska
Waterfowl
and
their
Food.2--This
contribution
from the BiologicalSurveyconsists
of two parts, 'Waterfowl in Nebraska,
by Dr. Harry C. Oberholserand 'Wild Duck Foodsof the SandhillRegion
of Nebraska' by W. L. McAtee.
The sandhill region of Nebraska, containing as it does innumerable
small lakes and marshesis a natural resort of variousspeciesof waterfowl
and the object of the presentpublicationis to place thosewho may be
interestedin the conservation
of thesebirds,data on their relative abundanceand habitsand the methodsby whichthis regionmay bemademore
attractive
for them.
Dr. Oberholser visited most of the lakes and obtained
a wealth of informationregardingthe birdswhich inhabit them as well as
data onpastandpresentconditionsthere. lie hasgivenlistsof the species
found on the more important lakes and an annotatedlist of all of the
speciesobserved,their habits, relative abundance, etc., together with
warningsas to the dangersattending the draining of the lakes in the
consequentextermination of the wildfowl.
Mr. McAtee has reported upon collectionsof the marsh vegetation
gathered about a number of the lakes, pointing out the relative value of
the variousplantsas duck foodand suggesting
other specieswhichwould
probably thrive there if introduced.
As a whole the pamphlet,whichwe trust may have a wide circulation
in the regionof which it treats, givesto the sportsmenof Nebraskaall of
the data requiredin any effort that they may be inclinedto make for the
conservationof this natural breedinggroundfor the ducks. And in view
of the rapid destructionof the former breedinggroundsfarther north,
it is nonetoo soonto take every opportunityto saveall suchregionsas
this, which still remain in the United States,from thoughtlessdestruction.
It would be a fine thing if the Legislatureof Nebraskawould make this
lake regiona permanentState preservefor the breedingof waterfowl,
which could apparently easily be done without any inconvenienceto the
grazingor farming interestsas it is not suitablefor either.--W. S.
Bartsch on the 'Bird Rookeries of the Tortugas.'•-Among
the
contributionsto the 'Annual Report'of the Smithsonian
Institutionfor
• Waterfowl and Their Food Plants in the Sandhill Region of Nebraska.
Part I.
Waterfowl in l•ebraska.
Dy Harry C. Oberlxolser, Assistant Diologist.
Part lI.
Wild-Duck Foods of the Sandhill Region of l•ebraska.
Dy W. L. McAtee.
Assistant Diologist.
Duiletin 794, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
March 23,
1920, pp. 1-77, plates I-V.
• The Dird Rookeries of the Tortugas.
Dy Paul Dartsclx.
Smithson/an
for 1917, pages 469-500 (with 38 plates).
Washington, 1919.
Report