124 Recent Literature. [January 



but lack of space forbids a more extended notice of this important contri- 

 bution, which is only one of a series of highly valuable reports bj the 

 same author upon the animals and plants obtained in the vicinity of Point 

 Barrow. The Commander of the Expedition, P. H. Ray, First Lieutenant 

 Eight U. S. Infantry, especially acknowledges the able and valuable assist- 

 ance rendered by Mr. Murdoch throughout this eminently successful expe- 

 dition. — J. A. A. 



The 'Water Birds of North America' — A Few Corrections. — The excel- 

 lent and exhaustive work on the 'Water Birds of North America,' lately 

 issued by the Agassiz Museum of Compai-ative Zoology, is a model 

 treatise as far as the labors of the authors whose names appear on the title- 

 page could make it perfect; and for errors in quotations from others, 

 chiefly compiled by the late Dr. Brewer, neither he. Professor Baird. nor 

 Mr. Ridgway can be held responsible. 



It is, however, an unfortunate circumstance that while so many are indi- 

 rectly made-contributors, they should have been unable to amend their 

 notes W'hen printed, as there is always new information accumulating, 

 which more or less alters previous knowledge, especially in regard to 

 habits of birds. It was probably impracticable to supply proof-sheets to 

 all the naturalists quoted and still living while the printing was being 

 done. In consequence, a large number of amendments and additions 

 must remain for publication in other ways, the editors not having seen fit 

 to add an appendix, as done with the three volumes of 'Land Birds.' The 

 following corrections will be of interest, and relate chiefly to quotations 

 from my own writings. I do not now undertake to give many additional 

 observations. 



In volume I, page 75, line 2, '////r' should be printed tiile, it being the 

 Spanish or Mexican name of the giant rush, Scirpus lacustris, — not prop- 

 erly speaking a "long grass." In Utah it is spelled Tooele, the lake thus 

 named being within the range of Spanish travel, but should be pro- 

 nounced Too-l_y, in two syllables. 



Page 115, line 3, for 'sport' read spout. 



Page 116, line lO. H. niger breeds as far south as Santa Barbara 

 Island. See quotation on next page, line 8. 



Page 117, line 22 from bottom, for 'Malashka' read Unalaska. 



Page 146, line 19 from bottom, for 'California' read Caledonia. 



Page 233, near middle. Dr. Brewer overlooked my article in Proc. Cal. 

 Acad. Nat. Sc, IV, 3, 1S6S, where I stated this species to be "not rare at 

 San Francisco Bay in winter." The same article would have furnished 

 other facts on 45 species of birds, chiefly additional to what he did quote. 



Page 298, line 12, for 'western,' read eastern. 



Page 320, line 6. The young birds I caught were probably Limosa 

 fedoa (p. 255), which are described as very similar to the young o{ Xiimc- 

 nius when not half grown. It is my recollection, however, that old Cur- 

 lews were shot also, possibl\- barren birds. On p. 312 he also quotes my 

 notice of jV. longirostris in the same locality, but no other collector has 

 found it breedinu; there. 



