"^'''ioif ^'^l Recent Literature. 265 



Careful descriptions of the localities visited are given, with lists of the 

 more conspicuous plants, while the life zones and their characteristic species 

 ■of vertebrates are thoroughly discussed. The annotated list of birds 

 numbers 103 species, and considerable space is allotted to accounts of the 

 habits of those which are most abundant and characteristic. To quote 

 the author, the attempt has been made to place emphasis upon the non- 

 morphological or psychological characters of the species which are of late 

 attracting more and more attention in zoological field work. 



In addition to the birds, the reptiles and amphibians of the region are 

 treated in this paper, the mammals having formed the subject of a previous 

 contribution. Taken together they form a comprehensive biological 

 survey of this interesting portion of Nevada, with much valuable informa- 

 tion upon the life histories of the birds. — W. S. 



Swarth, on A Collection of Birds from Vancouver Island.' — 



An expedition was organized and financed by Miss Annie M. Alexander in 

 1910 in the interests of the University of California for the purpose of 

 collecting the higher vertebrates of Vancouver Island. Miss Alexander, 

 Miss Louise Kellogg, Mr. Harry S. Swarth and Mr. E. Despard made up 

 the party and Mr. Swarth here presents us with a detailed account of the 

 localities visited and a discussion of the distribution and relationship of 

 the birds and mammals, the former comprising 111 species. 



Several Pine Grosbeaks were observed on July 15 and a male in ju venal 

 plumage was secured showing pretty conclusively that a form of this bird 

 which Mr. Swarth refers provisionally to Pinicola enucleator flammula 

 breeds on the island. 



The extensive material obtained made possible a careful study of the 

 affinities of the Vancouver representatives of several species which has led 

 to interesting results. The Savannah Sparrow is found to be 'widely 

 "different ' from Passerculus s. alaudinus and ' practically indistinguishable ' 

 from P. s. savanna of eastern North America. The Nighthawk too, is the 

 eastern form Chordeiles v. virginianus and the Crossbill Loxia ciirvirostra 

 minor, while the Junco is J. h. oregonus. In a large series of Song Sparrows 

 from Vancouver and southern Alaska Mr. Swarth fails to " perceive the 

 differences supposedly distinguishing morphna from rufina," while the 

 Northwest Crow is treated as a subspecies of C. hrachyrJiyncJios . 



Certain forms not recognized in the A. O. U. Check-List are held to be 

 valid as Hirundo erythrogastra palmeri, Dendroica cesiiva hooveri, Ceryle 

 ■alcyon caurina, and Geothbjpis trichas scirpicola while certain differences 

 are noted in the vernacular names. A strong plea too is made for the 

 restriction of the name ruber to the northern instead of the southern form 

 of Red-breasted Sapsucker, which deserves careful consideration. Indeed 



1 Report on a Collection of Birds and Mammals from Vancouver Island. By 

 Harry S. Swarth. University of California Publications in Zoology, Vol. 10. No. 1. 

 pp. 1-124, pU. 1-4. February 13, 1912. 



