The hawks and owls of the United States in their relation to agriculture. Prepared under the direction of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, ornithologist.

8vo; 26 pl. protected by tissue guards (text n.c., foxing to the plates, 1 guard teared).

Publisher's binding: black cloth, frames of fillets on the boards, flat spine with gilt title (turn ins soiled, light white stains).

First edition of the "account of the economic importance of the different species of birds of prey in the US. An attempt to shed light on this subject by examination of the contents of the stomachs of about 2.700 of these birds. It was found that only six of the 73 species and subspecies of hawks and owls occurring in this area are harmful, three of these being, moreover, very rare" (# Anker). The work also describes the birds' habits (incl. food), their occurrence and distribution. Illustrated with 26 chromolithographed plates heightened with gum arabic. Part of the bulletins collection of the US department of agriculture, division of ornithology and mammalogy (no. 3). Ref. Anker 144.- Nissen, IVB, 316.