° ■ J Recent Literature. 2 21 



Grinnell,' by Walter K. Fisher, and 'The Monterey Fox Sparrow,' bv 

 Joseph Grinnell. Mr. Fisher attempts to defend carbonacea against the 

 dictnm of the A. O. U. Committee (namely, "Not considered worthy of 

 recognition by name "), and incidentally gives a synopsis of the western 

 jays of the stelleri group, illustrating their ranges by a map, and indi- 

 cating thereon 'areas of intergradation.' While the question is merely 

 one of opinion between Mr. Fisher and the Committee as to whether the 

 degree of differentiation characterizing carbonacea is ' worthy of recogni- 

 tion by name,' the paper is an interesting and valuable contribution to 

 our knowledge of just what are the differences between the several races 

 of these jays, their ranges, and areas and manner of intergradation. 



Mr. Grinnell believes that Monterey winter specimens of Passcrella 

 represent the FriMgilla meruloides of Vigors, whose breeding range is 

 assumed to be the Yakutat Bay region of Alaska, and that Ridgway's 

 Passcrella iliaca annectens is merely Vigors's meruloides renamed. 



The May-June number contains : ' Among the Sea Birds of the Oregon 

 Coast,' by William L. Finley; 'Nesting of the Prairie Falcon,' by 

 O. W. Howard ; ' Notes on a smalt collection of Birds from the Island of 

 Maui, Hawaii,' by Richard C. McGregor; 'Unprotected Breeding 

 Grounds,' by Vernon Bailey; ' A Study of Bird Songs' (Chapter II), by 

 John J. Williams ; and the usual shorter communications, reviews, and 

 official minutes, with, in addition, two technical papers, as follows : 'The 

 Downy Woodpeckers of California,' by Walter K. P'isher; and 'The 

 Western Barn Swallow/ by Joseph Grinnell. Mr. Fisher separates the 

 "so-called Gairdner Woodpecker from California" from "typical 

 gairdneri oi Oregon and Washington under the name Dryobates fubes- 

 cens turati, founded on Picns turati of Malherbe," on the ground of 

 smaller size and lighter coloration. He gives a synopsis of the Western 

 races of the Downy Woodpecker, ol which he recognizes four, namely : 

 (i) Dryobates pubescetis «e/.<;6>«/ Oberholser, (2) D. p. leucurus (Hartlaub 

 := D. f. homoriis Cabanis = Z?. jz). orececus Batchelder), (3) D. p. gaird- 

 neri {A.\\d.), (4) B. p. /«;-«// (Malherbe). 



Mr. Grinnell bestows the name Hirundo erythrogastra palmeri on the 

 H. e. unalasclike7isis W. Palmer ( nee Gmelin ), which he says shows a 

 "significant tendency toward Hirundo tytleri Jerdon of Kamtschatka." 



The July-August number has 'Incubation Advanced,' by Corydon 

 Chamberlin; 'Vocal Powers of the Yellow-billed Magpie,' by H. R. 

 Noack; 'Some Echoes from the Sierra,' by Chester Barlow ; 'Notes on 

 the Black-throated Gray Warbler,' by C. W. Bowles; 'Nesting of the 

 Little Flammulated Screech Owl on San Gorgonia Mountain,' by M. 

 French Gilman ; 'Winter Plumage of the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher,' by H. 

 S. Swarth; 'An Unusual Set of Eggs of Clarke Nutcracker,' by II. C. 

 Johnson; 'Notes on the Verdin,' by M. French Gilman; ' Bird Studies in 

 Strawberry Valley, Aug. 25-Oct. 25, 1902' [sic], by Mrs. C. A. Moody; 

 'A Domesticated White Pelican' (illustrated); and the usual 'notes,' 

 reviews, editorial matter, correspondence, etc., including an extended 



