i£go.1 Chapman on Geothlyfis trichas ignota. (\ 



ficent system of trinomials" to an absurdity. It is much easier to 

 name a dozen new species or subspecies than to get rid of one, 

 though erected on a false basis. Let us then weave our 

 ornithological net so open-meshed that the undesirable small 

 fry of incipient local forms may readily pass through and escape till 

 further differentiation, in future ages, shall render them desirable 

 captures.* 



ON THE EASTERN FORMS OF GEOTHLTPIS 

 TRICHAS. 



BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN. 



Three years ago I obtained in Florida several Maryland Yellow- 

 throats which apparently differed from northern specimens of 

 this bird. During succeeding winters additional examples were 

 secured, but being unable to obtain summer specimens, which 

 without fear of error could be considered resident birds, I was 

 unwilling to call attention to what I supposed was an undescribed 

 form of this species resident in Florida. Thus the matter rested 

 until recently, when Mr. W. E. D. Scott very courteously placed 

 at my disposal his entire series of Florida specimens. In attempt- 

 ing now with the aid of this additional material to determine the 

 status of the Florida bird, I found it would also be necessary to 

 ascertain the relationships of the Mississippi Valley bird, to which 

 the Audubonian name roscoe has recently been applied. To this 

 end, therefore, through the kind offices of fellow naturalists, I have 

 accumulated a large amount of material, in all somewhat over 

 three hundred specimens. 



The relationships of the Mississippi Valley bird. — From 

 this region I have a series of some sixty specimens, of which 

 thirty-eight are adult males in breeding plumage ; with these I 

 shall make my comparisons. Occupying an intermediate geograph- 

 ical position between the true pat rice of both the eastern and the 



*In this connection I would call attention to the sagacious note of warning sounded 

 by Dr. Coues in 1884, in the Preface to his ' Key to North American Birds' (p. xxvii, 

 second paragraph). 



