oZb Recent Literature. [April 



The Staghorn Sumac. By E. A. Doolittle. — As a bird-attracting 

 shrub. 



The Twentieth Christmas Bird Census, brings forth 169 lists from all 

 parts of the country. We notice considerable diversity in the recording 

 of Chickadees. From many localities quite beyond the range of earolinen- 

 sis they appear simply as " Chickadee." At Mt. Holly, N. J., they appear, 

 no doubt correctly, as "Carolina Chickadee," while at Moorestown, N. J., 

 a few miles farther south, the record is of "Black-capped Chickadees." 

 In such a winter as the past one both kinds no doubt occurred in central 

 and southern New Jersey, but at the two localities mentioned the Carolina 

 is certainly the usual one. It would seem better to use "Chickadee" 

 without any qualifying term where there would seem to have been an 

 error. In connection with the lone Tree Swallow at Gardiner's Island, 

 N. Y., it may be of interest to know that this species was quite common at 

 Cape May Point, N. J., on December 31, 1919, flying over the frozen lake 

 and feeding on the wax myrtle berries as observed by the reviewer. 



As to the Northern Phalarope at Telford, Pa., to which special attention 

 is called in the introduction, a little investigation would have shown serious 

 doubt as to the correctness of the identification. 



The Condor. XXII, No. 1. January-February, 1920. 



Autobiographical Notes. By Henry W. Henshaw. 



A Return to the Dakota Lake Region. By Florence M. Bailey. — These 

 two continued articles maintain their interest. 



Importance of the Blind in Bird Photography. By Frank N. Irving. 

 Illustrated with admirable close-up photographs of the Flicker at its nest, 

 showing more clearly than any pictures that we have seen the method 

 of perching of this species. 



The Rusty Song Sparrow in Berkeley and the Return of Winter Birds. 

 By Amelia S. Allen. — A Yukutat Fox Sparrow which was a regular visitor 

 to a feeding shelf was banded and returned the next winter; while a Rusty 

 Song Sparrow, supposedly the same bird, returned for three successive 

 winters. These data are of particular interest in connection with Mr. 

 Baldwin's work (see p. 314). 



A Peculiar Feeding Habit of Grebes. By Alexander Wetmore. — The 

 habit of eating feathers practiced by birds of this family may, the author 

 suggests, be for the purpose of providing a "strainer" which checks the 

 passage of fish bones and scales into the intestines until they are fully 

 disintegrated. A brush-like fringe of corneous filaments supposed to serve 

 a similar purpose is present around the pyloric opening in the Anhinga, 

 a bird of similar feeding habits. 



Notes on the Limicolae of Southern British Columbia. By Allan 

 Brooks. — Notes on 38 species. 



Edward Garner, A Pioneer Naturalist. By H. C. Bryant. 



Description of a New Otocoris from California. By Harry C. Ober- 

 holser. — 0. alpestris sierrae (p. 34), the Sierra Nevada in California from 

 Placer to Lassen Counties. 



