^"^oif ^T ^ece?i« Literature. 549 



latest edition of the A. O. U. Check-List discussing in detail his reasons for 

 differing from the A. O. U. Committee in the distribution of several species. 

 We note the following cases where Mr. Willett's evidence leads him to 

 differ with the statements of the Check-List. 



Brachyramphus marmoratus is stated in the Check-List to range south 

 to San Diego in winter but Mr. Willett can find no record south of Santa 

 Barbara. 



Branta canadensis occidentalis is credited with ranging to southern 

 California in winter but there seems to be no record for the region covered 

 by the present paper. 



Oreortyx picta plumifera is considered by Mr. Willett, to include all 

 southern California birds. Those from the San Gabriel and San Bernar- 

 dino Mountains are referred to 0. p. confinis in the Check-List but Messrs. 

 Grinnell and Swarth after careful study of the matter would refer all to 

 plumifera. 



Following the opinion of Messrs. Ridgway and Oberholser he excludes Em- 

 pidonax griseus from California referring the birds so called to E. wricjhli. 



Aphelocoma calijornica obscura is also excluded from California, the birds 

 breeding from Los Angeles to San Bernardino which are I'eferred to this 

 form in the Check-List, proving to be, in the opinion of Messrs. Grinnell 

 and Swarth, referable to ^. c. calijornica. 



Careful local studies of this kind are just what are needed to straighten 

 out the details in the distribution of our birds, and Mr. Willett's contribu- 

 tion is most welcome. 



We note but few typographical or other errors, but since the author 

 invites corrections we may mention that the Avocets noted by Dr. New- 

 berry (p. 35) were in the winter of 1855 not 1885 and the Audubon reference 

 on p. 71 should be to the Ornithological Biography not the Elephant Folio. 

 We might also call attention to an earlier publication of Evermann's 

 ' Birds observed in Ventura County, Cal.' which appeared in Vol. 1, No. 8 

 (Jan. 1886), pp. 77-89, of the Pacific Science Monthly, a small journal edited 

 by Stephen Bowers, Ph.D., and published at San Buenaventura, Cal., 

 apparently as the organ of the Ventura Society of Natural History. 



This title does not appear in Grinnell's Bibliography of California Orni- 

 thology. Except as to nomenclature the paper is essentially the same as 

 that in 'The Auk' for 1886. Polioptila melanura however, is included 

 (erroneously) as a rare resident. — W. S. 



Mathews' Birds of Australia. ^ — Three parts of this monumental work 

 have been received since the last notice in ' The Auk.' Part 6 of Volume I, 

 bearing date, January 31, 1912, consists of title page, contents, preface 

 and index of the first volume, while Part 1 of Volume II, May 30, 1912, and 

 Part 2 of Volume II, July 31, 1912, comprising 236 pages and 27 plates 

 are devoted to the Petrels. 



I The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. With hand-coloured 

 Plates. Roy. 4to. Witherby and Co., London. 



