496 JOURNAL OF the; WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 11, NO. 20 



lakes are relatively small and shallow, and many are more or less ephemeral. 

 The water in most is fresh, biit in a few is alkaline. 



Notes on habits, occurrence, and distribution of 56 species of water birds 

 are here given, 42 of which are breeding species of the State, and 14 are only 

 autumn transients. The most abundant breeding duck is Querquedula discors. 



H. C. O. 



ORNITHOLOGY. — Observations on the habits of the white-winged dove. 

 Alexander Wetmore. Condor 22: 140-146. 1920. 

 The habits of Melopelia asiatica mearnsi as observed near Arlington, along 

 the Gila River in Maricopa County, Arizona, present some interesting fea- 

 tures. The species were found breeding in colonies, some of them as large 

 as 2000 pairs. The young are fed by regurgitation for three or four days, 

 after which they are given fresh food. They remain in the nest three or 

 four weeks. A regular morning flight from the breeding colonies begins an 

 hour after sunrise and continues until nearly noon of each day. The species 

 feeds much on wheat and barley, but as most of this is waste grain, the damage 

 to the cultivated crops of the region is comparatively slight. 



H. C. O. 



ORNITHOLOGY. — Observations on the habits of birds at Lake Burford, New 



Mexico. Alexander WetmorE. Auk 37: 221-247. 393-412, pis. 



1-7. 1920. 



Lake Burford lies at an altitude of 7000 feet in the northwestern part of 



New Mexico. The observations here recorded relate to 105 species, and 



include sometimes extended notes on habits, particularly of the water birds. 



H. C. Oberholser. 



ORNITHOLOGY. — A peculiar feeding habit of grebes. Alexander Wet- 

 more. Condor 22: 18-20. 1920.' 



The stomachs of grebes usually contain a considerable quantity of feathers. 

 These are eaten by the birds during the process of preening. Although these 

 feathers are eventually ground up and enter the intestines, a plug of them 

 remains in the pyloric lobe of the stomach, apparently serving as a strainer 

 to prevent the passage of the more indigestible parts of food eaten. 



H. C. Oberholser. 



ORNITHOLOGY. — A new clifj swallow from Canada. H. C. Oberholser. 

 Canadian Field-Nat. 33: 95. 1920. 



The form of Petrochelidon albifrons inhabiting most of western Canada 

 is here described as Petrochelidon albifrons hypopolia. It is the largest of the 

 races of Petrochelidon albifrons, and inhabits northwestern North America, 

 from Mackenzie and Alaska, south to Montana and Alberta, migrating 

 through the western United States probably to South America. H. C. O. 



ORNITHOLOGY. — Description of a new clapper rail from Florida. H. 

 C. Oberholser. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 33: 33-34. 1920. 



A clapper rail from the Florida Keys is described as Rallus longirostris 

 helius. H. C. O. 



ORNITHOLOGY. — The migration of North American birds. XIII. Euro- 

 pean Starling and the Bobolink. H. C. Oberholser. Bird Lore 22: 

 213-216. 1920. 



The European Starling (Stiirinis vidgaris vidgaris), was introduced into the 



