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 The First Book of Birds. By Olive Thorne Miller. With 8 colored and 12 plain plates and 20 figures in the text. Boston and New York, Hough- ton, Mifflin & Co. 1899. i2mo, pp. viii-f-149. Text-books based on successful experi- ences in teaching generally prove to be of value, and the present volume is no ex- ception to the rule. It contains what its author has found to be the most adequate definition of the bird in her talks on this little-known creature to boys and girls. It is well-named a 'First Book of Birds,' Mrs. Miller's aim being to arouse an in- telligent interest in bird-life before con- fronting the inquirer with ' keys ' and dis- couraging identification puzzles. She, therefore, begins with the nest, and out- lines the development of the bird, follow- ing this section by chapters on the bird's language, food, migration, intelligence, etc., and concluding with sections on ' How He is Made,' and ' His Relations with Us. ' The matter is well chosen, and so admirably arranged that no attentive reader can fail to receive a clear and logical concep- tion of the chief events in a bird's life. — F. M. C. Field Key to the Land Birds. By Edward Knobel. Boston, Bradlee Whidden. 1899. i6mo, pp. 55, numer- ous cuts in the text and 10 colored plates. This is an attempt to make plain the way of the field student, to whom every aid is welcome. One hundred and fifty- five land birds are divided into four groups, according to their size, and are arranged on nine colored plates, in the preparation of which the publishers have evidently struggled with the evils of cheap lithog- raphy, or some inexpensive color pro- cess. Experience in this direction makes us a lenient critic, and our standard has been reduced from the level of perfection to that of recognizability ; that is, if a plate is sufficiently good to unmistakably represent a certain species, even crudely, we view it solely from a practical stand- point, and admit that it doubtless serves its purpose. Applying this test to the plates under consideration, we are forced to state that, although fairly familiar with the species figured, we are in many cases unable to name the figures. The text is condensed and to the point, and the pen and ink illustrations liberally scattered through it will be found useful by beginners, to whom the book may be commended.— F. M. C. Our Common Birds. Suggestions for the Study of Their Life and Work. By C. F. Hodge, Ph.D., Clark University, Worcester, Mass. Food-chart and Draw- ings by Miss Helen A. Ball. 8vo, PP- 34. 3 half-tones, 8 line cuts in text. 10 cts. per copy, $6 per 100 copies. This is a contribution to the pedagogics of ornithology which cannot fail to interest every one desirous of seeing bird studies introduced in our schools. It opens with a chapter on the ' Biology of Our Common Birds, ' which shows the importance of becoming acquainted with them, giving, in fact, the reasons which have actuated Pro- fessor Hodge in his work in the schools of Worcester. The nature of this work and the success which has attended it are set forth in the succeeding pages, whose contents are in- dicated by the sub-titles ' The Bird Census,' ' The Food Chart' (A very useful compilation by Miss Helen A. Ball, show- ing graphically the food of our com- moner birds), ' Bird Study in the School- room,' 'Taming Our Wild Birds and Attracting Them to Our Houses,' and a ' Life Chart of Our Common Birds. ' Lack of space prohibits a description of the methods of bird-study given under these headings. Some of the results of their practical application, however, are to be found in the concluding chapter on the ' Ten-to-One Clubs' formed in the Worcester schools, which were joined by