234 Recent Literature. [aptIi 



from California, and a new interior form of tlie Savannah Sparrow.' The 

 latter is based, like the new form of Cowbird, on specimens from Hum- 

 boldt County, Nevada, and named Passerculus sandvicensis nevadensis. 

 It differs from P. s. alaudinus, its presumably nearest relative, in its extreme 

 pale coloration. The type of alaudinus is stated to have come from Cali- 

 fornia, and as the swarms of Savannah Sparrows that visit the coast region 

 of California belong to the dark form, Mr. Grinnell has properly given the 

 new name to the lighter colored interior form. He quotes Mr. Brewster as 

 having previously called attention to the composite nature of the group of 

 Savannah Sparrows hitherto referred to alaudinus. 



With the addition of Mr. Grinnell's two new forms of the Thryomanes 

 hewicki group, he claims to be "able clearly to distinguish. . . .eight geo- 

 graphic races within the limits of the State of California, occupying as many 

 separate areas of differentiation." These eight forms are here listed, with 

 their ranges. The new forms are T. b. marinensis, occupying " the hmnid 

 coast belt north of the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay, in Marin and 

 Sonoma counties," and T. b. catalince, from Santa Catalina Island, southern 

 California, differentiated from the adjoining mainland form charienturus, to 

 which these island specimens were formerly referred. The former is sepa- 

 rated from spilurus, as formerly circumscribed. 



As the difference between "lumpers," "splitters," and "conservatives" 

 is no doubt largely temperamental, we shall doubtless have all three classes 

 always with us. But the downfall of trinomialism, if it ever comes, will 

 be through its abuse, due to the temptation and facility it offers for ultra 

 sphtting. There are local differences that may be distinguishable to an 

 expert that are often too trivial and too uncertain and insignificant to 

 warrant recognition in nomenclature, since the added burden gives no 

 commensurate retvirn. The general facts may be recognized and recorded, 

 and their significance noted, as is repeatedly done by good specialist who 

 are not open to the charge of being lumpers. Mammals, for exainple, 

 are far more plastic than birds, so much so that it is found necessary to 

 pass over minor and extremely local variants in order not to reduce nomen- 

 clature, in the matter of subspecies, to a burden of names, a considerable 

 portion of which would have not only little significance but would belittle 

 the real function of nomenclature. — - J. A. A. 



Beebe on the Tail Feathers of the Motmots.^ — It has long been known 

 that the characteristic racket-shape of the central rectrices of certain 

 species of Motmots is produced by the action of the bird itself in picking 

 off the barbs from the subterminal portion of the feathers. That this act 

 was performed by the bird purposely appeared so obvious that it has 



' The Savannah Sparrow of the Great Basin. By Joseph Grinnell. Ibid., pp. 

 311-316. February 21, 1910. 



2 Racket Formation in the Tail-Feathers of the Motmots. By C. William Beebe, 

 Curator of Birds. Zoologica: Scien. Contr. New York Zool. See, Vol. I, pp. 141- 

 149, figs. 43-47. January 15, 1910. 



