268 Recent Literature. [April 



as the four forms of Piiffinus involved in these remarks,* may suit the 

 peculiar views of those who would, for some reason best known to them- 

 selves, ignore distinctions which Nature has made ; but will Dr. Cooper 

 please explain in what matter this method of subversion of facts," or, 

 as he expresses it, "similar combinations of species," would be "advan- 

 tageous to the study of the water-birds," — or any other birds, lor that 

 matter? — Robert Ridgway. 



Beckham's Birds of Nelson County, Kentucky. — Mr. Beckham's 'List'f 

 "is based almost entirely" upon his former 'List of the Birds of Bards- 

 town, Nelson Country, Ky.,' published in July, 1883, and noticed in the 

 'Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club' for October, 1883 (Vol. VIII, 

 pp. 227, 228). Four species only are now added, raising the total num- 

 ber to 171. The present list is essentially a reprint of the earlier one, 

 with some revision of the text, and many changes in the nomenclature. 

 It is quite sumptuously printed, and, the introduction states, was prepared 

 "to accompany Mr. Linny's report on the geology of Nelson County." 

 It is without date, and there is no clue given in the 'separates' to its exact 

 place of publication. — ^J. A. A. 



Beckham on the plumage of Regulus calendula. J — Respecting the 

 presence or absence of the brightly colored crown-patch in different indi- 

 viduals of this species, Mr. Beckham, after an examination of much 

 material, reaches the following conclusions : "(i) that the female does not 

 have this brightly-colored crown, and (2) that some young autumnal males 

 (very likely a large majority of them) do possess this ornament." — J. A. A. 



Lawrence on New Species of Birds from Yucatan. — Mr. Gaumer's ex- 

 plorations in Yucatan continue to supply Mr. Lawrence with ornitholog- 

 ical material still yielding novelties. In the first§ of the two papers now 

 noticed a new Pigeon is described {^Engyptila vinaccifulva) from Temax, 

 Y'ucatan. It is very unlike any other species of the genus, and its light 

 tints give at first sight a suggestion of partial albinism. There are also 

 in this paper further notes on Engyptila fulviventris (originally described 

 as Leptopfila fulviventris), and on ChcEtura gaumeri. 



* The only one in the least doubtful being P. stricklandi, which by good authority is 

 considered to be the same species &% P. griscus — a view of its relationships which, it 

 may perhaps be needless to say, I have reasons for not accepting. 



t List of the Birds of Nelson County. By Charles Wickliffe Beckham. 4to., pp. 58. 

 Kentucky Geological Survey. No date. [Sept. 1885.] 



X Remarks on the Plumage of Regulus calendula. By Charles Wickliffe Beckham, 

 Proc. U. S.Nat. Mas., Vol. VIII, No. 40, pp. 625-628, Dec. 7, 1885. 



^^ Description of a New Species of Bird of the Genus Engyptila, with Notes on two 

 Yucatan Birds. By George N. Lawrence. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., Vol. IV, No. 8, 271- 

 273- 



