174 



THE OSPREY. 



Naturalist in Yucatan" by Mr. E. W. Nelson; 

 "Photography in North Dakota Bird Colonies" 

 by Rev. Herbert K. Job and "A Reconnoissance 

 in Manitoba and the Northwest" by Mr. F. M. 

 Chapman. 



The forenoon session of Thursday was devoted 

 to Mr. Hubert L. Clark's paper. -'Are Humming- 

 birds Cypseloid or Caprimulgoid?"; to Mr. Otto 

 Widmaun's "List of the Birds of Wequeton- 

 sing, Mich." and Mr. Spencer Trotter's "Notes 

 on the Ornithological Observations of Peter 

 Kahn." The afternoon was occupied by papers 

 relating to bird protection, consisting of the 

 "Report of the Committee of the Protection of 

 North American Birds" by Mr. Witmer Stone; 

 ••Results Obtained under the Thayer Fund" by 

 Mr. William Dutcher; "National Bird Protec- 

 tion — Its Opportunities and Limitations" by 

 Dr. T. S. Palmer; "Gulls of the Maine Coast, 

 and Miscellaneous Notes" by Messrs. William 

 Dutcher and William L. Bailey; and "Some Re- 

 sults of Bird Protection" by Mr. F. M. Chapman, 

 —the two last illustrated by stereoptican views. 

 This completed the program; the next congress 

 of the Union will be held in Washington. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. W. T. Hornaday, 

 the ornithologists and their friends were invited 

 to inspect New York's new Zoological Park on 

 Friday the following day, and for those who 

 availed themselves of this privilege, exceed- 

 ingly enjoyable entertainment was provided-. 



Nor should we fail to mention the convention 

 of Audubon Society workers which took place 

 in connection with the meeting of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union. Delegates from the 

 various societies met on the morning of Novem- 

 ber 14, to hear the report of the committee 

 last year appointed to consider the advisability 

 of perfecting some kind of national organiza- 

 tion. The recommendation of this committee, 

 to the effect that a national committee be 

 formed, to consist of a single delegate from 

 each society, and to have for its object better 

 cooperation among- the various societies, was 

 finally adopted. After some general discussion 

 the meeting was declared adjourned, to assem- 

 ble, however, it is hoped, next year in the city 

 of Washington. H. C. O. 



Letters. 



NOTK ON* THE NOMENCLATURE OF BERMUDA 

 BIRDS. 



Editors of the Ospkky: 



Mr. A. Hyatt Verrill published a short paper on 

 the Bermuda avifauna in the American Journal 

 of Science for July, 1901, (issued the last of 

 June). He also printed a more detailed article 

 in "THE OSPREY, (v, pp. 83-85) for June. 1901, 

 (issued in July) with figures of the three follow- 

 ing species and of the Tropic Bird photograph- 

 ed from life. In these articles he described the 

 Bermuda Cardinal Bird and the Bluebird as new 

 sub-species, peculiar to Bermuda. The Cardi- 

 nal Bird he named Cardinalis cardinalis Somer- 

 sii; the Bluebird. Sialia sialis Bermudensis; the 

 ('round Dove, Columbigallina passerina Baha- 

 mensis. 



Outram Bangs and Thos. S. Bradlee also pub- 

 lished a paper on the Birds of Bermuda in "The 

 Auk" for July, 1901. (pp. 249-257), in which new 

 names are given to some of these birds and 

 others which they call new species. 



They named the Ground Dove, Columbigallina 

 bermudiana; the White-eyed Vireo, ' ireo ber- 

 mudianus; the Catbird. Galeoscoptes bermudia- 

 nus; the Cardinal. Cardinalis bermudianus. Mr. 

 Verrill's first article appears to have been pub- 

 lished a few days earlier than the latter. 



To me it seems quite useless to regard these 

 very slightly differentiated forms as distinct 

 • 'species." The differences noted, in the Ground 



Dove, Catbird and Vireo, are trivial and scarcely 

 sufficient to constitute varieties. To consider 

 them as "subspecies" is certainly a sufficient 

 strain on the much-stretched meaning of the 

 term. 



In respect to the Ground Dove, there are rea- 

 sons for believing that it was introduced into 

 Bermuda from the Bahamas, since the settle- 

 ment of the islands, like many other things. 

 None of the earlier writers mention it in the lists 

 of birds that they gave. This would hardly 

 have been the case had it been present, for it is 

 exceedingly tame and familiar. 



Mr. A. K. Fisher, in Bird Lore, October, 1901, 

 (p. 178), states that the original Motacilla sialis 

 Liimi', ed. x. p. 187, was from Bermuda. This 

 is not correct. Linne gave it as "Bermudis & 

 America calidore." He also quoted Catesby, 

 Hist. Carolina, etc.. p. 4.S. pi. 47, 1731. Catesby 

 says that he had seen it in "Carolina, Virginia, 

 Maryland and the Bermudas." But he states in 

 his preface that his birds were mostly drawn in 

 Carolina and Georgia, where he spent several 

 years in drawing- them. A few were drawn in 

 the Bahamas, where he spent about a year, 

 mostly on the fishes and plants. He does not 

 say that he made any drawings in Bermuda, 

 where he probably made a mere passing visit. 

 The Bluebird does not occur in the Bahamas. 

 His figuire clearly represents the common North 

 American variety. — A. E. Venkii.i.. 



