AO^ Recent Literature. 1 Oct 



lent standard, "must have been as a rule secured and preserved so that it 

 can be re-identified whenever desirable." A glance through the Check- 

 List shows that the list of duly authenticated accidentals is already quite 

 large, not less than 25 species resting on a single record, and about as 

 many more on only two or three records. It would have added greatly to 

 the usefulness of this list if, in such exceptional cases, a reference to the 

 place of record had been added. 



While, "for the sake of convenience," the sequence of the A. O. U. 

 Check-List has been followed, "the nomenclature has in several cases 

 been remodeled to the best of the author's own knowledge." Thus, quite 

 contrary to present tendencies, it is held by Mr. Grinnell "that actual geo- 

 graphical continuity in range accompanying corresponding intergradation 

 is the criterion for the application of trinomials," etc. As this is the 

 chief basis of his reformations in nomenclature, they appear to rest on the 

 author's opinions and preferences rather more than upon his "own knowl- 

 edge." There are thus, with perhaps two or three exceptions, no Old 

 World birds which have subspecific representatives in North America. 

 Also, quite a number of forms, as among the water birds, are given full 

 specific rank in cases where the doubt, in the minds of many ornitholo- 

 gists of much longer experience, is whether the forms in question are 

 entitled to any recognition in nomenclature. In other cases, where Mr. 

 Grinnell's material and experience can hardly have supplied exceptional 

 equipment for decisions, forms rejected by the A. O. U. Committee — 

 which, while not infallible, contains some fairly good ornithologists — 

 and sometimes by their proposers, are given recognition in the California 

 Check-List. In some other cases, as some of the local forms of the State, 

 Mr. Grinnell has doubtless abundant resources and ample experience, and 

 his opinion is in such instances entitled to the highest respect. 



The List consists (i) of the scientific and popular name of each form; 

 (2) a list of the technical names by which the bird has been mentioned in 

 the literature of California ornithology ; and (3) its "status," or a state- 

 ment of its "range, comparative abundance and season of occurrence," 

 usually condensed into a sentence of one to three lines. "The range is 

 usually expressed by Zones and Faunal Areas which are outlined in the 

 accompanying maps." These maps are two in number, the first indicating 

 by colored areas the ' Life Zones of California,' or the ' Isotherniic Areas ' ; 

 the second in a similar manner shows the ' Faunal Areas of California,' 

 or the ' Isohumic Areas,' ten in number. "The areas different)}' colored 

 on the maps have been outlined as accurately' as the information at hand 

 permitted ; still the boundary lines must be considered provisional until 

 the state is carefully surveyed zoogeographically." The maps are cer- 

 tainly a great convenience and help one to understand at a glance the 

 complicated nature of climatic conditions in California. Respecting the 

 names of his faunal areas (map 2) the author says, "Nomenclatural uni- 

 formity cannot be here attempted." These 'faunal areas ' are in reality 

 arbitrarily climatic rather than faunal, being based, as the subtitle of the 



