446 Recent Literature. [Oct. 



The genus Sitia is separated into four subgenera. Homositta subgen. 

 nov. (p. 152) tj'pe S. castaneoventris Frankl.; Micrositta subgen. nov. (p. 

 153) type*S. villosa Verr.; Leptositta subgen. nov. (p. 153) type S. leucopsis 

 Gould, and Sitta type S. europoea L. 



Our Sitta carolinensis is arranged in subgenus Leptositta, while all our 

 other North American species fall in Micrositta. No less than 22 races of 

 Sitta europoea are recognized! This paper is evidently the result of much 

 study and deserves careful consideration. 



The following new forms are described: S. europoea sakhalinensis (p. loS), 

 SaghaUen Isl.; S. e. hondoensis (p. 160), Hondo Isl.; and Rupicitta tephro- 

 nota iranica (p. 165)'N. E. Persia. — • W. S. 



Dabbene on Argentine Coots and Grebes.' — In this interesting 

 paper Mr. Dal)bene describes the life histories of Fulica armellata, F. rufi- 

 frons, Podiceps americanus and Podilymbus podiceps. The nests and eggs 

 are described and figured as well as the plumages of the young nestlings. 

 A series of skins of Fulica armillata shows a gradual transition from a 

 blackish downy nestling to a white-breasted juvenal plumage and finally 

 to the slaty adult dress. — W. S. 



Birds in Relation to the Dissemination of Mistletoes in the 

 United States. — It is a relief to learn from two recent publications ^ 

 on western mistletoes that birds are held to play only a minor role in the 

 distribution of these destructive plants. The mistletoes considered are 

 those of the genus Razoumofskya. The seeds are expelled from the 

 capsules with such force that they have been observed to travel 66 feet 

 with a fall of only 8 feet; aided by strong winds seeds from high trees are 

 known to have carried a quarter of a mile. It is evident that the plants 

 have no real necessity for animal carriers and it is stated by the author 

 that the part played by birds is a minor one. 



English sparrows and grouse have been observed to feed upon the seeds 

 and they undoubtedly aid in dissemination of the plants. Both birds 

 and rodents build nests among the mistletoes thus adding to the possi- 

 bihties of seed distribution. The efficiency of these agents is limited, 

 however, and Dr. D. T. MacDougal states that " the only locahties which 

 offer suitable conditions for the germination and growth of the seeds .... 

 are the tips of branches or the shoots of young trees beneath. It is to be 

 seen that no animals are to be found in the habitat of the parasite which 

 would in ordinary usage carry the seeds to these locations." ' 



So much for the dissemination of Razoumofskya; with our other genus 



1 Notas Biologicas sobre Gallaretas y Macas. Par Roberto Dabbene. Ann. Mus. Nac. 

 Hist. Nat. Buenos Aires, XXVIII, pp. 183-192. July 19, 1916. 



2 Weir, James R. BuU. 317, U. S. Dept. Agr., Jan. 20. 1916, p. 24, and Bull. 360, June 17. 

 1910, p. 34. 



s Minnesota Botanical Studies 2, p. 172, 1899. 



