The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-30
BOOKS OF THE TIME.
Prof. A. w. Buffers Thorough Work
on ''The Birds of Indiana"

recently resident of Brookville, Ind, and
at present secretary of the State Board of
Charities. The report of THE Birds of
Indiana is by far the most valuable scien-
tine work ever issued from a state depart
ment, and deserves wider notice and circu-
lation than it is likely to receive in its
present form. The small appropriation al
lowed for the printing of these reports made
1t impossible to have this printed in a sep
arate volume which should by all means
nave been done, and it is hoped the next
Legislature will see the wisdom of reprint
ing 1t In a separate volume and appropri-
atlng the necessary funds to give it a wide
circulation. If this is done the scope of the
volume should be extended, as the author
suggests by giving some of the more i'm
portant results of the observations of the
mlgrations of birds within the State" notes
OF which Mr.. Butler has carefully kept for
twenty-one years.
1t is difficult to briefly review a work of
such value and interest as is this work of
Mr.. Butler. 1t is scientifically accurate, and
yet simply written and fascinatingly inter
esting to any lover of birds-and who is not
lover of our sweet-songed, feathered
friends? Nothing approaching this work
in completeness and accuracy has ever been
and the only previous ones worthy of men
ton are now out of print and not to be Sc
cured. These are Dr.. A. w. Brayton's
Catalogue of the Birds of Indiana" issued
in 1879, and one issued previously by Mr.
Butler in 1880, both of which were printed
by the Indiana Horticultural Society.
Although the work is based largely on the
notes of observations made by Mr. Butler
ms G11ri FL,
in southeastern Indiana, yet he has spared
no time labor nor, expense to seek all the
information available from all other sources.
Being curator of theldepartment OF ornithoI-
ogy OF the Indiana Academy of Science,
much valuable material has come into his
hands from this source The chief of the
biological survey of the United States
Department of Agriculture also gave him
access to his reports of Indiana, migrationS
covering many years, and also furnished
many of the valuable cuts with which the
work IS interestingly illustrated. Besides,
MI. Butler gives full credit In the work to
score or more of able bird students upon
whose fund of information he has drawn.
rms is one OF the most notable features of
the work. All through the report the au-
thority and date and place of observation
is given, SO that any fact can at any time
be verified authoritatively.
After giving due credit for all these
sources of information Mr.. Butler gives
the full text of the Indiana law for the pro-
lection OF birds and their nests, which be-
imposes a fine of not less than $40, with
possible thirty days Imprisonment added,
in all cases of conviction for killing any but
game birds or destroying the nests. The
only persons allowed TO kill bros or take
their nests for scientific purposes are those
holding a license from the executive board
of the Indiana Academy of Science. Mr..
Butler expresses the thought that in some
parts of the State this law is not known
and enforced. For the purpose of extend
ing knowledge of this law and interesting
communities In its enforcement an Audubon
society was organized April 26, 1898, of WHICH
Butler corresponding secretary, and it is
hoped this society, with, branches in every
county, will render valuable aid, protecting
our song and inSectseating birds and en-
courage their nesting by furnishing them
nesting places and helping them to eXter-
inmate the belligerent httle alien, the Eng
lish sparrow. Mr.. Butler devoteS several
pages to the photographic features of In
diana so far as they relate to bird life and
migrations. He gives an interesting chap
ter on the changes of bird life in our State
which have come with civilization and
changed conditions of meadow and forest
Several species which were once abundant
ly represented here are now well-nigh ex-
tinct in our State, such as. the ivory-biled
woodpecker wild turkey and Carolina para
keet The chapter on bird migratiOns is full
of interest and information to those who
love our feathered friends, and yet have
made little study of their habits After
reading this chapter one must have little
poetry or romance in his soul If he cannot
enjoy wandering in orchard, field and Tor
est on bright April days and listening to the
robins and bluebirds, orioles and thrusnes,
bobolinks and meadow larks singing of their
sunny Southern homes so recently left be-
hind in the land of the creole, the Bahia
Sixteen pages are devoted to a carefully
arranged photography of Indiana ornithol-
ogy, giving eve thing OF importance i hi tnat
beginning with the American Orthodoxy
issued by Alexander Wilson in 1908 and com.
ing down the century to the puolIcatIISons OF
Birds" by which any student OF birds may
take a specimen, and by examining feet, and
wing, and tail, and bill, ana coloring OF
feathers can analyze it and trace 1t TO It's
species, just as the botanist analyses ana
Identifies flower by his botanical key. This
key to Birds is so simple that any one
who can read can use it, and as complete
for the birds of this State as any contained
in the most expensive ScienIlhc work pun
lished. This key, with the accompanying
make this work of great value in our public
schools, where the study OF ornlthology
should be made part OF the course 1 s Oh
experience in teaching 1t Is proved conclu-
sively to be more interesting and developing
to the average boy or girl than IS tne stu Ieiy
a specimen of common blrd
of the meadows, with bright yellow
breast with a black crescent set IN the
know it's name and more OF It's character
istics and habits he will begin readlng the
key ana ma thaJ the HTSI oiuer haNiHS
toes arranged as does his specimen is Az:
Hind toes. if present. not connected with
Others" Then following the SUBDIVISIONS
down he will trace it as follows:
b: Nostrils not opening through tubes
CO: Cutting edges of bill not frlnged.
e-2: Anterior toes not distinctly weboed, etc.
go: Tarsus not greatly elongated ETC..
II: Bill not both strongly hooked and cered
n-2: Hind toe little. if at all. above level OF
the rest
%: Nostrils not opening beneath soft, swollen
p|2: Wing not Very long; tail with II feathers,
etc.
d.: Toes three in front. one behind. etc (see
Going to Order O-Passeres-he begins
again:
az: Tarsus with it's hinder edge compressed
CT: Primaries of wing apparently only nine,
etc.
d.: Bill deeply cleft etc.
Ell: Bill more less concal. etc.
Going to Family xxx he finds it to be
Icteridae and begins with it:
al: Outlines of bin nearly straight etc.
b.: Bill slender. width 1-3 length, ETC.
fl: Tail less than 2-S length OF wing. tSee
Genus 1l4.)
Going to Genus ia, on Page Se6, he finds it
to be Sturnalla. and the first species under
this is sturnella magna-meadow lark-and
under this he will find nearly two ana
half pages of description, which on reading
will convince him that this is the specimen
he holds in his hand, with every marking
described infinitely, with. the measurement
of length of bird and wing OF both male
and female, its range and breedlng place
given, as well as a description or the nest
and eggs. Thus the student may trace out
any bird that falls under his notice, a specl-
men of which he can secure. But without
the specimen in hand the description OF
most OF our common birds may De readily
found in this valuable work.
n pSnpCf1l interest