abstracts: ornithology 607 



geese and in the following other birds: Thalasseus maximus, Himan- 

 topus mexicanus, Limnodromus griseus scolopaceus, CoUniis virginianus 

 texaniis, Cerchneis sparvcria sparveria, Coccyzus americanus americanus, 

 Coccyziis erythropthalmus, Pica pica hudsonia, Corvus ossifragus, Stur- 

 nella magna argutula, Toxostoma redivivum sonomae, Mimus polyglottos 

 polyglottos, and Hylocichla guttata subsp. 



Harry C. Oberholser. 



ORNITHOLOGY.— A'o^es on North American birds. IV. Harry C. 

 Oberholser. The Auk 35: 62-65. 1918. 

 Recent investigations show that Pelacanus californicus Ridgwaj'- is 

 a subspecies of Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, and should, therefore, 

 stand as Pelecanus occidentalis californicus Ridgway. Similarly, Cre- 

 dscus coturniculus (Ridgway) is undoubtedly a subspecies of Crecis- 

 cus jamaicensis aod should be called Creciscus jamaicensis coturnicu- 

 lus (Ridgway). Tringa maculata (Vieillot), has been said to be pre- 

 occupied by Tringa maculata Linnaeus, and for the species called 

 Pisobia maculata the name Tringa pectoralis Say has been resurrected. 

 There is, however, no Tringa maculata Linnaeus, as this is a misquota- 

 tion for Tringa macularia. Our pectoral sandpiper must, therefore, 

 retain its present designation of Pisobia maculata (Vieillot). The form 

 of Agelaius phoeniceus breeding in the central northern United States 

 and middle Canada was some time ago described as Agelaius phoeniceus 

 arctolegus Oberholser, but has not been considered separable fi'om 

 Agelaius phoeniceus fortis. Additional material shows it, however, to 

 be a recognizable race. H, C. O. 



ORNITHOLOGY.— T/te birds of Desecheo Island, Porto Rico. Alex- 

 ander Wetmore. The Auk 35: 333-340. 1918. 

 Desecheo Island lies in Mona Passage west of Porto Rico, and is 

 about one and one-fourth miles long by three-quarters broad. It is a 

 rocky island rising to a peak six hundred feet high, and is covered by 

 jungle or brush. The avifauna is limited to eleven species, only three 

 of which are land birds. Only one passerine bird, Margarops fuscatus 

 fuscatus, has been found on the island, 



Harry C. Oberholser, 



