Vol. XVII Recent Literature. Tt 83 
1900 
birds this faculty may attain higher development, becoming a talent for 
geography. The restlessness sometimes displayed in seasons of migra- 
tion by wild birds reared in captivity is perhaps indicative of an incentive 
to travel. But here heredity seems to end and education to begin, for 
there appears to be guidance by old birds and guidance by physical 
phenomena..... Intelligence and habit remain to account for the constancy 
of migratory birds to time and place..... In short, it is believed that the 
causes Of migration are simple facts and not impenetrable mysteries lying 
beyond the domain of scientific enquiry..... To sum up the whole matter 
in a single sentence: It is held that bird migration is a habit evolved by 
education and inheritance which owe their origin and perpetuation to 
winter with its failure of food.” 
Doubtless few careful students of migration will disagree with Mr. 
Loomis in respect to the propositions above quoted, and very few of the 
points raised have the interest of novelty, they having been in the main 
stated before by Mr. Loomis, and independently by others. But he gives 
us very little ‘satisfaction, and nothing new, on the subject of what 
prompts the return migration. What he has to say on this point 
(mainly in a footnote on p. 315) isa rather weak attempt at destructive 
criticism of the views held by others. 
The annotated list (pp. 317-322) of birds observed off Monterey during 
the two months of observations forming the occasion of the present paper 
numbers 42, several of which, however, were seen but once or twice; 
the bulk of the birds met with were a few species of Gulls, Shearwaters, 
Ducks and Phalaropes. Among the Shearwaters, Buller’s Shearwater 
(Puffinus bullert) is recorded for the first time as a North American bird, 
on the basis of a specimen captured by Mr. Loomis off Point Pinos, Nov. 
6, 1896. It is also the fourth specimen known to science, the others, 
including the type, having been taken in New Zealand waters. ‘‘It may 
be confidently expected,” says Mr. Loomis, ‘‘ that persistent observation 
off Monterey will add to the list of pelagic wanderers from austral 
regions.” —J. A. A. 
Stone on ‘The Summer Molting Plumage of Certain Ducks.’ !— The 
coliection of Arctic birds recently made at Point Barrow, Alaska, by Mr. 
E. A. Mcilhenny, includes large series of various species of Eiders which 
have formed the basis of Mr. Stone’s observations here detailed. Mr. 
Stone finds that there is a supplemental summer plumage, or post-nup- 
tial dress, in not only the King Eider, the Pacific Eider, the Spectacled 
Eider, and Steller’s Eider, but also in the Red-breasted Merganser. It has 
also been recorded as occurring in the Pintail and in various other species 
of Ducks in which the males and females are markedly different in colora- 
tion, and the inference is that this double summer moult is general among 
1The Summer Molting Plumage of Certain Ducks. By Witmer Stone. Proc. 
Acad. Nat. Sciences Phil., 1899, pp. 467-472. Separates issued Dec. 1, 1899. 
