Vol. XIIIT „ . , .. 



l89& Recent Literature. h C 



extent that fact does permit of the zonal arrangement of the earth." But 

 he goes on to add, with strange disregard of facts, "only, however, as 

 concerns the arctic regions " ! although he does later make the admission : 

 "It is chiefly marine organisms which show a close interdependence of 

 temperature and distribution." 



Lack of space forbids a detailed analysis of the hook, which, notwith- 

 standing much that is unphilosophic and objectionable, and many loose 

 statements, contains a great deal of information of value to the general 

 reader, while not a few special points connected with distribution are 

 discussed with ability and fairness. But on the whole the make-up and 

 general character of the book is such as to suggest that it was prepared 

 at the solicitation of a publisher in search of a work on this subject to fill 

 a gap in a projected series of publications on natural history rather than 

 from any innate fitness or desire on the part of the author to write on this 

 particular topic. In other words, that it comes very close to the line 

 of scientific hack-work. — J. A. A. 



Townsend on the Birds of Cocos Island. 1 — It was Mr. Townsend's 

 good fortune to be one of the first ornithologists to visit Locos Island. 

 It is of volcanic origin, and although only four miles long by three wide 

 is heavily forested and well adapted to support a resident land-bird fauna. 

 Situated midway between the mainland at Costa Ricaand the Galapagos, 

 the affinities of Cocos birds arc of unusual interest. If the islet is 

 simply an isolated volcanic cone, in other words, a true oceanic island, it 

 would be natural to suppose that its resident land-birds would be derived 

 from the mainland. But if Cocos is a portion of the submerged land 

 which, as Dr. Baur 2 claims, once connected the Galapagos with the con- 

 tinent, we might expect to find a Galapagan element in the Cocos avi- 

 fauna. Of the four species of land-birds secured by Mr. Townsend, 

 De?idroica aureola, is Galapagan, Cocornis agassizi, and .Yesotriceus 

 ridgwayi, described as the tvpes of new genera, are the obvious represen- 

 tatives respectively of the Galapagan Cactornis scandens and Eribates 

 magnirostris, while Coccyzus ferrugineus, previously described by Could 

 from Cocos. has no near relative, though the genus Coccyzus is repre- 

 sented in the Galapagos by the mainland C. melanocorypkus. The 

 affinities of the Cocos avifauna are therefore clearly Galapagan and give 

 support to Dr. Baur's theory. 



The previously little known Creagrus furcatus was found in marshes at 

 Malpelo, and five species of Petrels are given from the vicinity of the 

 Galapagos.- - F. M. C. 



1 Birds from Cocos and Malpelo Islands, with Notes on Petrels obtained at 

 Sea. By C. H. Townsend. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zodl., Vol. XXVII, No. 3, 

 July, 1S95, PP- 121-126. Two colored platen 



1 American Naturalist. iSqi, pp. 217-229, 307-326. 



