296 Recent Literature. [j^ 



Nelson on the Birds of the Tres Marias. 1 — As a result of his visit to 

 the Tres Marias Islands in Maw 1S97, Mr. Nelson presents us with a 

 comprehensive account of the islands, their birds and mammals, while 

 the reptiles, Crustacea, and plants collected by himself and his assistant, 

 Mr. E. A. Goldman, are reported on, respectively, by Leonard Stejneger, 

 Mary J. Rathbun, and J. N. Rose. Mr. Nelson also adds a Bibliogra- 

 phy of the Tres Marias Islands. 



The Tres Marias Islands are situated about 65 miles west of the port 

 of San Bias. The group is composed of four islands which were evi- 

 dently at one time connected with one another. The comparatively 

 shallow sea between the islands and the mainland, and the close relation- 

 ship existing between their fauna and flora and that of the mainland, 

 apparently prove a former mainland connection. 



In consequence of the isolation incident to their insular existence we 

 should expect the animals of these islands to develop distinguishing 

 characteristics of size or color, and Mr. Nelson shows that no less than 

 18 of the 59 land birds — 11 of which have previously been described 

 by him 2 — are separable from their mainland allies. 



The 83 birds recorded from the islands are treated at length, and 

 the extended and admirable notes on habits add to Mr. Nelson's already 

 well established reputation as a keen and discriminating student of 

 birds in nature. — F. M. C. 



Nelson on New Birds from Northwestern Mexico. 3 — This paper is 

 based on collections made by Mr. E. A. Goldman in southwestern Sonora 

 for the Biological Survey of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The 

 species and subspecies described are the following: Amazona albifro?is 

 saltuensis, Antrostomus goldmani, Ap/irlocoma grisea, Pipilo Juscus 

 intermedins, Cardinalis cardinalis affinis, Cardinalis cardinalis sina- 

 loensis," Arremonofis superciliosa sinaloa?, Basileuterus rujifrons canda- 

 tus, Thryothorus felix pallidas, Heleodytes stridulus, Myadestes obscurus 

 ctnereus, and Catharus olivascens. 



Mr. Nelson calls attention to the suggestive fact that a number of the 

 birds of southwestern Sonora show closer relationships to forms peculiar 

 to the Cape St. Lucas region than to races of the same species in south- 

 ern Arizona, a condition which, to some extent, is paralleled by that of 

 certain of the birds of San Bias and the Tres Marias Islands. — F. M. C. 



1 Natural History of the Tres Marias Islands. Mexico. General Account 

 of the Islands, with Reports on Mammals and Birds. By E. W. Nelson. 

 North American Fauna, No. 14, pp. 7-62. Washington, Government Print- 

 ing Office, 1899. 



2 Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XII, pp. 8-1 1, 1S9S. 



3 Descriptions of New Birds from Northwestern Mexico. By E. W. Nelson, 

 Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XIII, pp. 25-31, May 25, 1899. 



