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 July, 1917 PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 147 gether with an account of their varying needs and habits. The appendix contains a chapter on theo- ries of breeding and a list of reference works. The list will undoubtedly prove use- ful, but the chapter on'the theories of breeding is a disappointment. It is an en- deavor to explain in a few short pages the theories of Mendel, Darwin, De Vries, Oal- ton, and Davenport, and it leaves the reader with a conviction of his-own utter confu- sion, and a suspicion that the author, too, was confused. The book is well illustrated with nearly a hundred reproductions from photographs. There is among those who come in con- tact with children a growing belief that in fostering and developing a child's fondness for pets we foster and develop highly de- sirable character traits in the child himself, and, as Mr. Crandall suggests in the preface to his book, "many of the problems which perplex the adolescent adjust themselves normally by constant contact with repro- ductive life." Mr. Crandall's book is the best and most complete work which we have seen in the field treated, and we suggest that every pet- loving son procure a copy for his parents.-- H. V. GRINNELL. MINUTES OF COOPER CLUB MEETINGS NORTHERN DIVISION MARCit.--The regular meeting of the Northern Division of the Cooper Ornitho- logical Club was held at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on March 15 at eight o'clock. Dr. Evermann called the meeting to order with the 'following members in at- tendance: Messrs. Benton, Carriger, Ever- mann, Grinnell, Hanford, La .Jeunesse, Squires, Storer, Wright; Mesdames Allen, Culver, Ferguson, Field, Grinnell, Head, Meade, Newhall, Witter. Visitors: Messrs. Austin, Win. Hall, Meade; Mesdames Ever- mann, Boyle, Stone, Straight. The minutes of the February meeting were read and corrected, and the minutes of the February meeting of the Southern Di- vision were read. Mrs. E.G. Witter, whose name was proposed at the January meeting, and the eleven names passed on for ap- proval from the December and January min- utes of the Southern Division, were elected to membership. The name of J. Harold Evans of Sant Rosa was proposed by H. W. Cartiger, and that of Paul J. Hartmann, 1118 Maple Ave., Los Angeles, by W. Lee Chambers from the Southern Division. The, resignation of Miss Alice F Crane as ccepted. A very interesting acount of the Birds of San Francisco County was given by Rev. W. A. Squires.. The discussion of conditions in Golden Gate Park led to a motion by Dr. Grinnell that a committee be appointed to act in conjunction with the Audubon Asso- ciation of the Pacific with reference to the attempted extermination of supposedly in- jurious species in Golden Gate Park. The President appointed on this committee Messrs. Squires, Cartiger and Lastreto. Ad- journed.--AELIA S. ALLE, Secretary. ArRIL.--The regular meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Club (Northern Divi- sion) was held at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, April 19, 1917. There were pres- ent: Messrs. Bryant, Evermann, Palmer, Storer, Swarth, Wright; Mesdames Allen, Bryant, Culver, Ferguson, Grinnell, and Knappen. Messrs. Allen and Linforth, Miss Straight and Mrs. Swarth were visitors. The minutes of the March meeting were read and approved, followed by the minutes of the March meeting of the Southern Divi- sion and of the January and February meet- ings of the Intermountain Chapter. Mr. J. Harold Evans was elected to membership; also Mr. Paul J. Hartmann, whose name was received from the Southern Division. The following names were proposed for membership: Mrs. Bessie W. Kibbe, 1534 Grove St., Berkeley, by Mr. Swarth; Mrs. Edwin T. Blake, 2233 Piedmont Ave., Berkeley, and Mrs. Arthur Hubbard Cole, 2827 Hillegass Ave., Berkeley, by Mrs. J. T. Allen; also the five names presented at the March meeting of the Southern Division. Mr. Storer reported to the Club the sub- stance of an inquiry from Mr. E. W. Nelson, Chie'f of the Biological Survey, with re- gard to the destruction of water-birds by crude oil floating on the surface of the Pa- cific Ocean. Pres. Lastreto of the Audubon Association of the Pacific reported that he had been in correspondence with the In- spector 6f the 18th Lighthouse District, who wrote that unless the discharge of oil in the neighborhood of the Farallones could be prevented, the colonies of nesting birds on those islands would soon be destroyed. Oth- er investigations as to the custom of dis- charging oil were reported. Dr. Bryant moved the appointment by the Chair of a committee to investigate the question and report at the next meeting. Carried.