176 abstracts: ornithology 



ORNITHOLOGY.— iVo^es on North American birds. III. Harry 

 C. Oberholser. The Auk 34:465-470. October, 1917. 



This paper contains technical notes on two genera and three species. 

 The genus Bannermania Mathews and Iredale, recently proposed for 

 the reception of Oceanodroma hornbyi (Gray), proves on examination of 

 further material to be invahd, since the characters given in the original 

 diagnosis are not constant. The name of the species should therefore 

 remain Oceaiiodroma hornbyi. 



The subgenus Cytnochorea Coues, recently raised to generic rank by 

 Mathews and Iredale, seems not to be worthy of this elevation. A 

 careful examination of the species of Oceanodroma discloses the fact 

 that there are no constant structural differences between them, and 

 that consequently all must be included in the same genus. In view of 

 this, Cymochorea Coues can be considered of nothing more than sub- 

 generic rank. 



A new subspecies of booby (Sula dactylatra calif ornica) , recently de- 

 scribed by Dr. Walter Rothschild from San Benedicto Island, in the 

 Revillagigedo group, western Mexico, although said to be from Cali- 

 fornia, has apparently never been taken within the confines of that 

 State, and therefore must be excluded from the list of North American 

 birds. 



The name Fregata aquila Linnaeus, currently applied to the North 

 American frigate bird, has been shown by Mathews to be applicable 

 only to the bird of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The 

 frigate birds of North America now prove to belong to two other 

 species: that of the West Indies and southeastern United States being 

 Fregata magnificens rothschildi Mathews, and the Pacific bird, Fregata 

 minor -palmer stoni (Gmelin). 



The name Strix ivapacuthu Gmelin, recently revived for the Arctic 

 horned owl (the Bubo arcticus of Swainson), is now shown, as con- 

 tended previously by Mr. Brewster, to be applicable only to Nyctea 

 nyctea, and thus unavailable for the other species, which should there- 

 fore still be called Bubo virginianus subarcticus Hoy. H. C. 0. 



