The Blue Book of Birds of America

This is a natural history reference work, not a pulp magazine. *Birds of America* by Frank G. Ashbrook, illustrated by Paul Moller (Whitman Publishing, 1931), comprises detailed ornithological descriptions of sixty-four North American bird species. The text includes illustrated entries on goatsuckers (whip-poor-will, poor-will, nighthawk), chimney swift, hummingbirds (ruby-throated, black-chinned, rufous), and flycatchers (kingbird, Arkansas kingbird, crested flycatcher, ash-throated flycatcher). Each entry provides scientific nomenclature, measurements, physical characteristics distinguishing males from females, behavioral habits, feeding patterns, nesting practices, migration routes, and geographic range. The preface emphasizes birds' ecological value, particularly their role controlling insect populations. Descriptions are necessarily brief but sufficient to enable field identification, drawing on sources including the Bureau of Biological Survey and Audubon Society publications.