New-York tribune., 1881-09-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


ished in two parts and contains descriptions OF al
species of Singing Birds" known to nave peen
seen, even as accidental specimens, In tne NOV W. ..
land States. The name of the editor Is s""0
guarantee of the general accuracy Oh 'no W., IN.
The author shows a good acquaintance WIZ" ~
subject and great powers OF obserVaC'o" y, "c,e
habits and characteristics of animals. The Illus
trat,ons. fitty-ive in number are all OF them gooo
And useful bu of them original.
he large number of works the birds of Amer
. tea or of limited portions of the country, which
have been published within the last ten or fifteen
years. gives gratifying evidence of greatincrease in
the interest with which this important department
o..Natural History is being worked up. The work
i'm hand, though intended especi lily for New-Eng-
land use, as it contains the rare and accidental
birds found in the region. will supply in % useful
way the needs of the Middle States till some author
wi h knowledge and enterprise enough furnishes
manual for that section. The first part contains
descriptions of one hundred and forty Species eav-
ing over two hundred to he described in the second
1t is to be hoped that editor and publishers will
soon finish the work 1t should not be left as Baird
Brewer and Ridgways has be n, with volume un-
published. But the first part, in including all the
so-called singing birds, ha within itself a certain
kind of completeness, which shOuld give it an
tensve sale.
The first fifty pages contain an introduction of
four sections. Section No. is devoted to general
definitions relating to the subject; No. to meth
Ods of preparation of specimens in the form of skins
and eggs for study No. to the distribution of
birds in what are called Faunal areas; and the last
to general history of the literature of the subject
These are all concise and very useful sections The
rest of the book contains the descriptions of the
species.
No better idea can be conveyed of the general
scope of the work and the fullness of the descrip
tons than by quoting this passage about common
bird:
CAT-BRD.
Minus Caronensis (L9 Gray
Chars-Slate-colored, paer and more grayish be-
Under tail-coverts chestnut. Young mole sooty-
coored. with little or no distinction of black cap
s.50-9.OO; extent, IL. 90 1900; wing. $50 -3.75
tail. 400; bill, O7O; tarsus, 10o,,1.1O.,
the whole of New-England. 1t is restricted in its
northern extension only by the Canadian Fauna
northeastern Maine. 1t enters the country the last
of April or early in May and remains through the
" Withdrawing from the lower Connecticut valley
in November. 1t breeds throughout its range. The
Oh r1e and sbn a M ar @ IN
very generally laced but a few feet from the
ground 1t is constructed chiefly of leaves, bark
strips, and rootlets, mixed with twgs OF consd-
erable size, rags, twne, &c, but roots and barks
are usually most conspicuous in it's structure.
The eggs to the number OF four or five, are rich
ing about O9O long by 0,6S broad Two broods
may be reared under favorable circumstances.
The first set of eggs is laid about the last tof
May; the next, if there be one early in July.
Besides the curious note of alarm and interroga-
tion, from the sound of which the common name of
the species is derived, the cat-bird has song of
great compass, variety, and melody. Next after the
Thrasher and the Mocking-bird "prince of songn
the palm must be awarded TO this humble tenant of
the shrubbery power of mimlcry and range of vo-
calization as well as for sweetness of execution in
singing 1t Is also entitled to protection and grateful
regard on account of the great numbers of lniunous
insects which it destroys--a service to Ills against
which the small quantity Of fruit which the cat
bird steals should be consd dered offset. Notwth-
ItS al ifs har oy,H
fensive disposition and the benefits it confers upon
the agrcultu st, the cat-bird is an object of de-
rsion and persecution, as undeserved as it is cruel
1t not easy TO account for this subtitle yet decided
aversion which the bird exctes; but it is like the
feeling which many persons have against cats, aud
is probably occasoned by the mewing cat-iiIe, cry
OF this Incompatible mlmic.
The authors feeling about the English-sparrow is
shown in a number of his descriptions of birds
though he does consider the sparrow itself worth
description. The author relegates him to foot
note IN these words:
THE PARASITE. Passer domesticls The House
Sparrow. winch was unfortunately introduced
3 me years ago, has become thoroughly natural
ized and by repeated mportations and unchecked
natural increase, now abounds in parts of
New England, with great prejudice TO native birds,
with injury to the orchard, garden, and farm, and
with annoyance to most persons; without render
ing the expected of it in the DESTROY
ing nOxious insects. premium their heads
would be wise legislative action.
1t is to be feared that the sparrow will become
thoroughly naturalized not only in New-England
ready to be found in large numbers in the towns of
the western part of Virginia, and every season it
captures and takes in charge new towns southwark
and westward
1t Is interesting to notice the number of birds be-
longing to regions hundreds or even thousands of
miles from this section which occasionally find their
way here. The prothonotary and yellow-throated
warblers, belonging to the Southern and South Allan
tic States have been found in Massachusetts, the pro-
thonotary as far north as Calais, Maine; the log
gerhead shrike of the Southern States also q yari-
ETY. belonging to the Western States have strayed
into Massachusetts, the lark finch the lark bunting
and the yellow-headed blackbird all birds of the
Western praries have found their way as far east
ward as Massachusetts,. The same can be said of
the blue grosbeak of the South Stranger than all this
is the fact that the Oregon robin, Audubon's warb-
Ter, Louisiana tanager chestnut collared longspur
and Oregon snow bird, belonging to the region from
the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast have all
been found as stragglers, in the central New Eng
land States. After these examples of lost OF
strayed" birds 1T would not be very surprising if
large portion of the rest of the North American
birds should be found in New-England list.
In manner not to be commended the author con-
tinues his controversy with the late Dr. r. NJ
Brewer. Carried on in the spirit here shown it
would be out OF place anywhere, after the death Of
DR.. Brewer. and especially i'll this work. See how
little matter it was originally In 1868 Dr. Coues
published List of the Birds of New-Englandn
made up great part from the records, but con-
tanning some birds which the author felt certain
from his knowledge of Faunal areas, must visit New
England though there no records of their having
done The fact that list of birds for given area
should contain the name of single one not proven
inhabt il was criticised bv DIR Rrewer apd l.,