V ° 1 i9^9 CVI ] Recent Literature. 321 



on collections made for the author by Mr. C. F. Underwood from December, 

 1907, to June, 1908.— J. A. A. 



Ridgway on New Genera, Species, and Subspecies of Tropical American 

 Birds. 1 — Of the 16 new genera here described, 9 belong to the family For- 

 micariid£e and 7 to the family Furnariidse ; the 3 new species and 8 new 

 subspecies, belong to the families Funariidae and Dendrocolaptidse. In a 

 foot-note (p. 74) the genus Myrmelastes is considered as inseparable from 

 Myrmeciza, and Myrmelastes lawrencii Salv. and Godm. is stated to be 

 the immature male of Gymnocichla cheiroleuca, and M. corvinus Lawr. 

 (= M. ceterus Bangs) to be the same as G. nudipes. — J. A. A. 



New North American Birds.— Mr. E. W. Nelson 2 has described a new 

 thrush from Tamaulipas, Mexico, as Catharus mexicanus smithi, it differing 

 from mexicanus in having shorter wings and tail and longer tarsi, and also 

 slightly in coloration. 



Messrs. Thayer and Bangs have recently described 3 a new form of the 

 Snowy Egret from San Jose Island, Gulf of California, about sixty miles 

 north of* La Paz, as Egretta candidissima brewsteri, on the basis of its large 

 size, especially evident in "the enormously heavy legs." 



Mr. Joseph Grinnell has proposed the addition of "three new Song Spar- 

 rows" 4 from California. One of them is from "the extensive marshes at 

 the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers," and while 

 resembling Melospiza melodia gouldi Baird (= M. m. samuelis Baird) 

 in coloration, it is larger with a heavier bill, which is markedly more swollen 

 at the base, and is hence named M. m. maxilaris. The second is the M. m. 

 gouldii Baird, revived, which has of late been referred to M. m. samuelis 

 as a synonym. A recent reexamination of a large amount of material 

 by the A. O. U. Committee on Nomenclature, including specimens furnished 

 by Mr. Grinnell, has failed to convince the Committee of the propriety of 

 its recognition (see antea, p. 301). The third is from the vicinity of the 

 Salton Sea and suitable localities along the Lower Colorado River, and is 

 named M. m. saltonis. This form is considered by the same Committee 

 (see antea, p. 301) as not separable from M. m. fallax, as commonly recog- 

 nized — in other words, that saltonis is the Desert Song Sparrow of the 

 arid Southwest. The type of fallax, unfortunately, proves not to be quite 

 typical as to locality, being a winter specimen and a migrant, but fallax 



1 New Genera, Species and Subspecies of Formicariidae, Furnariidse, and Dendro- 

 colaptidse. By Robert Ridgway. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. XXII, pp. 69- 

 74, April 17, 1909. 



2 A New Thrush from Mexico. By E. W. Nelson. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 

 Vol. XXII, pp. 49, 50. April 17, 1909. 



3 Description of a New Subspecies of the Snowy Heron. By John E. Thayer and 

 Outram Bangs. Proc. New Engl. Zool. Club, Vol. IV, pp. 39-41. April 29, 1909. 



4 Three New Song Sparrows from California. By Joseph Grinnell. University 

 of California Publications in Zoology, Vol. V, No. 3, pp. 265-269. April 9, 1909. 



