Vol 'i9i8 XV ] Recent Literature. 251 



that the birds from the coast region north of San Francisco Bay are differ- 

 ent from either of the above. These he separates as A. calif ornica ooclep- 

 tica (p. 413), type locality Nicasio. 



He also differs from Dr. Oberholser's recent conclusion that A. hypoleuca 

 is merely a race of A. calif ornica, as maintained in the A. O. U. ' Check-List,' 

 and would give it full specific rank. The facts in regard to this group would 

 seem to be now before us and any difference of treatment must be due to 

 personal opinion. — W. S. 



Wetmore on Palseochenoides mioceanus Shufeldt. 1 — This name 

 was based upon the fossilized distal end of the right femur of a bird which 

 Dr. Shufeldt considered as related to the Anseres. Quoting from Dr. 

 Shufeldt's paper we find " that this femur never belonged to any bird at 

 all related to Sula, or to any of the Herons, or to Pelecanus, all of which 

 have femora possessed of some characters, which, though not of wide dif- 

 ference, are quite sufficient to constitute discriminating ones, and to point 

 to the fact that this great extinct fowl did not belong in any of those 

 groups, as we know them, osteologically." 



Now comes Mr. Wetmore with the results of another careful examination 

 of this same bone fragment and we read that of five characters of the femur 

 " Palosochenoides agrees with the Steganopodes in four, while in only one 



does it approach the Anseres and it is referred without question to 



the Steganopodes." He further suggests that it was a Pelican-like bird 

 of a somewhat generalized type showing resemblances to the Gannets and 

 remotely to the Cormorants and Darters. 



It would seem desirable that those who name fossil birds should not 

 fashion their generic names on those of existing birds as it is embarrassing 

 to find them shifted into other families or orders where the name becomes 

 somewhat of a misnomer! 



Mr. Wetmore's argument in the present case seems much the more 

 convincing of the two that have been presented. — W. S. 



Economic Ornithology in recent Entomological Publications.— 



Some interesting original observations of the relations of birds to insect 

 pests have recently been published by entomologists. They relate to the 

 following insects: 



Potato aphid (Marcrosiphum solanifolii) . This new pest, because of 

 the thoroughness and insidiousness of its attacks, is popularly known as 

 the " Kaiser bug " in Ohio where it destroyed many potato fields. The 

 following birds were observed actively feeding on the aphids: Chipping 

 Sparrow, Quail, and English Sparrow. 2 



» The Relationships of the Fossil Bird Palaeochenoides mioceanus. By Alexander Wet- 

 more. The Journal of Geology, XXV, No. 6, Sept.-Oct., 1917. 



2 Houser, J. S., Guy ton, T. L. and Lowry, P. R , Bull. 317, Ohio Agr. Exp. Sta., Nov. 1917, 

 p. 80. 



