° igo2 I Nelson, Certain North American Gallince. 3^7 



This is shown by the confidence with which he makes a com- 

 parison of two specimens of the same subspecies from different 

 parts of its range and thereby disproves the existence of another 

 subspecies in quite a distinct and distant faunal area. To ren- 

 der still simpler the process of rejecting species described by 

 American ornithologists our critic does not hesitate to doubt or 

 even deny the existence of characters and specimens not seen by 

 himself. 



In 'The Auk' for July, 1902 (pp. 309-311) Dr. J. A. Allen 

 pertinently comments on some of Mr. Grant's remarks concerning 

 various species found north of the Mexican boundary. The fol- 

 lowing notes are mainly limited to a reply to the strictures on the 

 species described by myself from Mexico. In order to give a 

 clear idea of the basis for my work on the Mexican GallinEe, so 

 summarily disposed of by Mr. Grant, a few details are necessary. 



For about twelve years I have been engaged in a biological sur- 

 vey of Mexico, during which time I have traversed in detail all but 

 an insignificant part of the country. Throughout this period speci- 

 mens of birds have been collected with the special object of illus- 

 trating geographic distribution and variation. Our collection 

 contains about 400 specimens of Mexican Gallinae, representing 

 all but two or three of the known species, and usually including 

 specimens taken at (or near) the type locality. In studying this 

 material, together with that in the U. S. National Museum, when- 

 ever I have found series of specimens from separate districts 

 showing easily recognized differences, and these characters are 

 backed by my personal knowledge that the localities in question 

 are in different faunal areas, my inference has been that the 

 characters thus separating the birds were of specific or subspecific 

 value, as the case might be. During the progress of my work I 

 have constantly consulted Mr. Robert Ridgway who coincides in 

 all of my conclusions regarding the Mexican Gallinae. Our speci- 

 mens in this group have also been examined by various other 

 ornithologists who take the same view in the matter. Mr. Grant's 

 condemnation of my work therefore falls with equal force upon 

 the judgment of a number of the best American ornithologists. 



Fortunately some of the species treated by my critic have charac- 

 ters sufficiently marked for photographic reproduction, as showa 

 on the accompanying plates. 



