Two Recent Lists of Iowa Birds 99 



According to Anderson (op. cit, p. 208) this species is a very 

 rare straggler in Iowa and lie does not record a single existing 

 specimen. Unless the bird taken by Mr. "Waller is still extant to 

 confirm this record it should be excluded from the list. The other 

 bird recorded on sight identification was probably a Florida Gal- 

 linule. 



7. Himantopus mexicanus. — Black-necked Stilt. 



This species is a rare straggler into the Northern States and 

 should not be included in Iowa lists on the basis of indefinite state- 

 ments. Anderson records two specimens for the State. 



8. Tryngites siibruficoUis. — Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 



A rare migrant in Iowa, of which only a few specimens have 

 been taken. It would be well to have the supposed specimen of 

 the Buff-breasted Sandpiper examined by some working ornithol- 

 ogist before accepting it as an additional record for the State. 



9. Falco mexicanus. — Prairie Falcon. 



Prof. B. H. Bailey, of Coe College, made a special trip to Floyd 

 County to examine the supposed specimen of the Prairie Falcon, 

 and writes me that he found it to be an immature Broad-winged 

 Hawk (BiLteo platypteriis) . 



10. Cryptoglaux funerea richardsoni. — Richardson's Owl. 



This species was placed in the hypothetical list by Anderson, as 

 no actual specimens had been taken in the State. On the face of 

 the statements in the present paper this owl would be added to the 

 State list. Dr. Bailey examined the specimen and found it to be a 

 Screech Owl (Otus asio) in the gray phase. 



The second paper, by F. May Tuttle, contains identifications 

 that it is practically impossible to make in the field. 



For example, the Northern Hairy Woodpecker is positively 

 identified on field observation. The stati;.-^ in Northern Iowa 

 of the two subspecies of this woodpecker is still unsettled. 

 In any event the field identification of subspecies, based on 

 average differences in size and coloration, should not be at- 

 tempted. 



This last remark applies equally as well to the records of 

 the Yellow-bellied, Traill's, and Alder Flycatchers. The 

 status of the last two in Iowa is still in dispute, but all of 

 my Iowa specimens have been identified by H. C. Oberholser 

 as E. t. alnorum. However this question of subspecific range 

 mav be settled, the fact remains that field identifications of 



