VOL. I. | Recent Literature. ; | oBe 
days after I discovered them. As no other nests were found I am_ 
inclined to think that a large percentage of the eggs must have been | 
dropped at random and destroyed by small mammals or birds. 
-On March 9, 1888, while collecting in the open plain about San 
_ Quintin, Lower California, I was rather surprised at the capture 
of a young Harporhynchus cinereus in nearly adult plumage. No 
thrashers had been seen about San Quintin during the winter, and — 
for a month previous to the capture of the specimen mentioned the 
ground had been explored almost daily without bringing to light 
any evidence of the species. A week later, however, St. Lucas 
thrashers were found in comparative abundance and apparently 
migrating still further northward. Several young were taken that 
were fully fledged and scarcely to be distinguished from the adults 
that still accompanied them. The majority of adults were unac- 
companied by young, and several which were shot showed upon 
dissection that nesting would take place by the 30th of March at 
latest. Some of the more ambitious, however, had doubtless reared 
broods of young before leaving their winter quarters. (See under 
this species note in Birds of Lower California.) 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
1 Fling, or Patriotic Rising: Chinese Secret Societies in the United 
States and Customs of the Chinese in America. By STEWART Cu- 
LIN. Reprint from Journal of Folk-lore and the Antiquarian Soci- 
ety of Philadelphia. These papers deal with subjects of much in- 
terest to us on the Pacific Coast, where the Chinese form no incon- 
siderable part of our population. 7 ing is said to be a branch of 
the great National Society of China known as the Water-lily Sect, 
or the Triad Society, which is opposed to the Manchu dynasty. 
The author says: ‘‘It was instituted in San Francisco between 1850 
and 1860, during the time of the Tai-ping rebellion, when many of 
the emigrants were refugees from the outbreak which then occurred 
in the southern provinces. At present there are branches of the 
original society in most of the American cities in which there are 
Chinese colonies. These are known by different names, but are 
united in policy and object, and are in constant communication with — 
each other.’’ 
“ The order in San Francisco and throughout the State of Califor-_ 
