282 Recent Literature. \j^ 



As already stated the new matter relates especially to the North Ameri- 

 can species of Ibises and Spoonbills. The paper is well illustrated with 

 text cuts and two plates, only a few of which appear here for the first 

 time. —J. A. A. 



Chapman on a New Race of the Great Blue Heron. ^ — From certain frag- 

 ments of Herons that have been in the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory for several years it was evident that a strongly marked undescribed 

 form of the Great Blue Heron existed on the Northwest Coast, but it was 

 not until recently that Mr. Chapman was able to secure proper material 

 for its description. The Northwest Coast Heron is, as wovild be expected, 

 very much darker and more deeply colored throughout than its relatives 

 from other parts of North America. The type of the new form is from 

 Qjneen Charlotte Island, and has been named by Mr. Chapman Ardea 

 herodias fatmini, in recognition of assistance rendered him in securing 

 material for his paper by Mr. John Fannin, the well-known Director of 

 the \'ictoria Museum. 



In addition to describing the new form, Mr. Chapman calls attention to 

 the status of Ardea ivardi, commonly recognized as a distinct species, 

 which Mr. Chapman very clearly shows intergrades with the northern 

 Ardea herodias. Mr. Chapman considers that birds from the lower Rio 

 Grande are not separable from the Florida birds which bear the name 

 ivardi. — J. A. A. 



Grinnell on Two Races of the Red-breasted Sapsucker. - — The 



two forms here recognized are Sphyrapicus variiis ruber and 6'. t'. daggetti,. 

 new subspecies. The range of the former is given as the Northwest 

 Coast region of North America, south to the Santa Cruz Mountains, while 

 the new form is from Pasadena, California, the range of which is given as 

 southern California and the west slope of the Sierra Nevada north at least 

 to Amador County. Not only has Mr. Grinnell separated a new form of 

 Red-breasted Sapsucker, but claims to have found evidence of intergrada- 

 tion between the eastern 5. varius and 5. ruber of the Pacific Coast, thus 

 reverting to the view held by Mr. Ridgway in 1873, when all the forms of 

 the genus Sphyrapicus were made subspecies of 5. varius. — J. A. A. 



' A New Race of the Great Blue Heron, with Remarks on the Status and 

 Range of Ardea wardi. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIV, pp. 87-90. 

 April 15, 1901. 



- Two Races of the Red-breasted Sapsucker. By Joseph Grinnell. The 

 Condor, Vol. Ill, No. i, p. 12. Separates issued Jan. 15, 1901. 



