° ■ 1915 J Recent Literature. do7 



garded as subspecies of the Old World Gallinula chloropus is correct. 

 Besides G. c. galeata here restricted to southeastern South America, he 

 recognizes four other races G. c. garmani Allen, from the Andes; G. c. 

 cerceris Bangs, from the Lesser Antilles; and two here described as new 

 G. c. pauxilla (p. 96), Rio Cauca, western Colombia; and G. c.cachinnans 

 (p. 96) type from De Soto Co., Florida,, for the North American bird. 



In another paper i the smaller Mockinglsird of the northern Bahamas is 

 separated as Mimus polyglottos delenijicus, type locality Andros Island; and 

 in conjunction with Mr. John E. Thayer- the Song Sparrow of Nova Scotia 

 is described as Melospiza v^elodia acadica (p. 67), type locality Wolfville. — 

 W. S. 



Swarth on the Pacific Coast Races of Bewick's Wren.' — From 

 an examination of 597 skins, nine races are recognized. 



Two other forms are " pointed out and their characteristics described, 

 but no names affixed," because "it is impossible to indicate more than 

 obscure average distinctions " and because the " extreme variability of 

 even the most strongly marked of the described forms militates against" 

 their recognition. The author fears possible criticism of his action but we 

 think it will meet with very general endorsement. 



Mr. Swarth's study is a very painstaking one, abounding in minute data, 

 and will be a great help to those who wish to name their specimens, for 

 to man}' who do not have a series of 500 skins for comparison this is by no 

 means an easy task. There are some helpful suggestions to the A. O. U. 

 Committee as to defining of the ranges of spilurus and charienturus in 

 view of their refusal to recognize the poorly defined race drymoecus. — W. S. 



Murphy and Harper on New Diving Petrels.^ — In their studies of 

 the family Pelecanoididse Messrs. Murphy and Harper have found two 

 unnamed forms of the curious little Diving Petrels which so closely parallel 

 in size and appearance the Murrelets of the northern hemisphere. These 

 are named in the present paper, Pelecanoides urinatrix. chathatnensis (p. 

 65), Chatham Islands; and P. georgica (p. 66) South Georgia Island. — 

 W. S. 



Chapin on the Pennant- Winged Nightjar. ^ — During his sojourn 

 in the gi-eat Equatorial forest of Central Africa, Mr. Chapin secured" 



> The Smaller Mockingbird of the Northern Bahamas. By Outrara Bangs. Proc. N. E. 

 Zool. Club. Vol. VI. p. 23. March 29, 1916. 



2 A New Song Sparrow from Nova Scotia. By John E. Thayer and Outram Bangs. 

 Proc. N. E. Zool. Club. Vol. V. pp. 07-i5S. May 29, 1914. 



3 The Pacific Coast Bace^, of the Bewick Wren. By Harry S. Swarth. Proc. Cal. Acad. 

 Sci., Vol. VI, No. 4, pp. 53-85, pi. 2. May 8, 1916. 



4 Two New Diving Petrels. By Bobert Cushman Murphy and Francis Harper. Bull. 

 Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., XXXV, pp. 6.5-67. April 1, 1916. 



' The Pennant-winged Nightjar and its Migration. By James P. Chapin. Bull. Amer. 

 Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. XXXV, pp. 73-81. Scientific Besults of the Congo Expedition. 

 Ornithology, No. 3. April 12, 1916. 



