1885.] Recent Literature. 29 I 



ferred to are Regulus Japonicus\ Anorthura fumigata , Certhia familiaris, 

 Ampelis pkacnicopterum, sEgiotlius linaria, etc. 



A paper on Costa Rican birds* describes as new Emfidonax virides- 

 ce?is, Pittasoma michlcri zcledoni, and Acant/iidiops bairdi (Zeledon 

 MS.), and contains redescriptions or remarks on other little-known spe- 

 cies, as Carpodectes antonice (Zeledon, MS.), Virco carmioli Bd., 

 Pkivnicot/iraupis carmioli Lawr., Eanio melanopygius Ridg. , and Empi- 

 donax atriccps Salv., etc. Mr. Ridgway, in Mr. Nutting's paper on 

 Nicaraguan birds, also describes a number of new species, as duly noted 

 below in our notice of Mr. Nutting's paper. 



A species of Hummingbird given as Selasphorus Jiammula in the cat- 

 alogue of birds obtained by Mr. Nutting on the Volcan de Irazu, Costa 

 Rica, is now identified as 5. torridus Salvin.f 



Among birds collected by Mr. C. L. McKay, at Bristol Bay, Alaska, 

 Mr. Ridgway finds a fine adult male of the European Velvet Scoter (Mc- 

 lanctta fu$ca),X and gives the characters by which it may be distinguished 

 from its American representative, M. velvet ina. 



A new Snow Bunting (JPlectropkenax Ityperboreiis Ridg.)§ is described 

 from Alaska, based on seven specimens, collected at Nushagak and St. 

 Michael's, by Messrs. C. L. McKay and E. W. Nelson. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished from P. nivalin by having much less black on the wings, etc. 



In a paper on some birds collected by Messrs. J. E. Benedict and \V. 

 Nye, at the Islands of St. Thomas, Trinidad, and Old Providence, and at 

 Cura^oa, Venezuela, and Sabanilla, New Grenada, || the following are 

 described as new. 1. Mimus gilvus rostratus, from Curacoa ; 2. Dcn- 

 drccca rufopileata. Curacoa; 3. Icterus curasoensis, Curac,o; 4- " Zenaida 

 ruficauda, Bonap. ? or sp. nov. Zenaida vinaceo-rufa Ridgw. ?," Cura- 

 c,oa; 5. Ccrthiola tricolor, Island of Old Providence, Caribbean Sea, 

 250 miles north of Aspinwall; 6. Vireosylvia grandior, Old Providence; 

 7. Vireo approximate, Old Providence ; 8. Elainca cincrescens, Old 

 Providence. 



A new Field Sparrow (Spizella ivortheni),\ allied to S. pusilla and 5. 

 atrigitlaris, is described from Silver City, New Mexico. 



A "resident local species or race" of Coot, differing from Fulica americana 

 in the form of its bill, and in the color and form of the frontal shield, is 



* On Some Costa Rican Birds, with descriptions 01 several supposed New Species. 

 Ibid., pp. 410-415. (Published April 11,1884.) 



t Note on Selasphorus torridus Salvin. Ibid., Vol. VII. p. 14. (Published June 3, 

 1884.) 



\ Melanetta fusca (Linn.) in Alaska. Ibid., p. 68. (Published June 11, r884.) 



$ Description of a New Snow Bunting from Alaska. Ibid., pp. 68-70. (Pub- 

 lished June II, 1884.) 



|| On a Collection of Birds made by Messrs. J. E. Benedict and W. Nye, of the 

 United States Fish Commission Steamer "Albatross." Ibid., pp. 171-180. (Pub- 

 lished July 29, 1884.) 



H Description of a New Species of Field Sparrow from New Mexico. Ibid., p. 

 259. (Published Aug. 22, 1884.) 



