1SS7. 



Recent Literature. 



335 



edgements are made, as well as to Dr. Leonhard Stejneger for aid in set- 

 tling vexed questions of synonymy and difficult problems of relationship. 

 The nearly 500 outline drawings of generic characters are grouped at the 

 end of the volume in 124 plates. 



It appears from the 'Appendix' (pp. 591-594) that four new subgenera, 

 and thirty-nine new species and subspecies are described in the work, of 

 which fourteen of the species and subspecies are from North America, as 

 defined in the A. O. U. 'Check-List'; the rest being from Mexico, Cen- 

 tral America, and the Bahamas. Besides the fourteen species and sub- 

 species described as new to North America, thirty-one others not included 

 in the A. O. U. 'Check-List,' are given as North Americans; eight of 

 these are introduced species; eleven have been described since the publi- 

 cation of the 'Check-List'*; seven have been added on the ground of 

 actual capture since the 'Check-List' appeared, and four are forms ignored 

 as nominal in making up the 'Check-List.' On the other hand, two recog- 

 nized in the 'Check-List' are here "cancelled." It further appears that 

 twelve technical names have undergone change, usually through the dis- 

 covery of tenable names given prior to those adopted in the ' Check-List,' 

 but in some instances through corrections of indentification. 



Aistrelata gularis of the ' Check-List' becomes AZ. scalaris Brewst. ; 

 Somateria mollissima becomes .S. tn. borealis (Brehm), the American 

 form being now considered subspecifically distinct from the European ; 

 Ardea rufa becomes A. rufescens Gm., the name rufa proving to be pre- 

 occupied ; the subgenus Nyctherodius becomes JVyctinassa Stejn., the 

 former name being preoccupied ; the subgenus Rhyacophilus is replaced 

 by Helodromas Kaup ; the genus Ulula becomes Scotiaptex Sw. , the use 

 of the name Ulula, in this connection, having been found to be an error; 

 Dryobates scalaris is now D. s. bairdi (Scl.), the form in question prov- 

 ing to be not true scalaris ; D. stricA-landi becomes D. arizonce (Harg.) 

 (see Auk, III, p. 426) ; Contofus borealis is made the type of a new sub- 

 genus Nuttallomis; Molothrus cenetis is placed in the genus Callothrus 

 Cass. ; Pinicola enucleator appears once more as P. e. canadensis (Cab.) ; 

 Carpodacus frontalis becomes C. mexicanus frontalis; for the genus Cer- 

 thiola it is proposed (in the 'Appendix,' p. 590) to substitute the name 

 Ccereba, on the ground of priority. 



The 'new' species and subspecies characterized as North American are 

 Coccyzus americanus occidentalism from "Western United States, north to 

 Oregon, east to New Mexico and Colorado, south over table-lands of Mex- 

 ico" ; Coccyzus mayuardi, "Bahamas and Florida Keys"; Afhelocoma 

 califomica kypolcucus, "Lower California"; Corvus corax principalis 

 ■=.Corvu& carnivorus Bartr., " notnen nudum" (but what is the objec- 

 tion to C. corax carniz<orus (Bd.) ?) ; Corvus a?nericanus kespcrus, 

 "Western United States, north to Washington Territory (Puget Sound), 

 Idaho, Montana, etc., south to Northern Mexico, east to Rocky Moun- 



* Exclusive of one described in 'The Auk' for July, 1887 — too late doubtless for notice 

 in the ' Manual.' 



