70 BULLETIN OF THE NUTTALL 



trunks, is a very noticeable one, but by no means confined to this 

 species. A very dry, resonant limb is usually selected, and the 

 bird will "drum" in the same spot many times in succession. 

 Frequently a rival appears, and a battle ends the performance, but 

 oftener the female answers the call and joins her anxious mate. 

 This habit appears to be perfectly analogous in motive to the well- 

 known performance of the Ruffed Grouse, and is performed only in 

 the spring before the eggs are laid. Both young and old leave for 

 the South in October. 



decent Hittratttrt, 



Ornithology of the Wheeler Expeditions. — This important Me- 

 moir,* consisting of three hundred and seventy-four quarto pages and 

 fifteen chromo-lithographic plates, forms Chapter III of Volume V of the 

 Reports of Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian, and is devoted 

 exclusively to a systematic consideration of the ornithological material 

 collected by the expeditions during the seasons of 1871 to 1874 inclusive, 

 by Mr. H. W. Henshaw, Dr. H. C. Yarrow, Mr. C. E. Aiken, and other 

 gentlemen connected with the survey. The region investigated includes 

 portions of Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, Arizona, and New 

 Mexico. Much of the matter was originally published in 1874 in a pre- 

 liminary report of 148 pages. t The results of the field work of 1874 

 are, however, here presented in detail for the first time, and furnish some 

 of the most interesting data in the volume. The text is written by Mr. 

 Henshaw, and does credit to that gentleman's well-known proficiency as 

 an ornithologist. The classification adopted is, for the land-birds, that 

 of Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway's " Birds of North America," while for the 

 water-birds Mr. Henshaw follows Dr. Coues's check-list. The plates, 

 though well drawn, are not all quite what we should like to see them in 

 point of coloration. 



Some few new and interesting arrangements of species and varieties are 

 original with the author, as in the Juncos, which are divided into three 



* Report upon the Ornithological Collections made during the Years 1871, 

 1872, 1873, and 1874. By H. W. Henshaw. Chapter III, Vol. V, of the 

 Reports of the Geographical and Geological Explorations and Surveys West of 

 the One Hundredth Meridian, in Charge of Lt. Geo. M. Wheeler. Published by 

 Authority of the Secretary of War. 4to. pp. 374. Washington : Government 

 Printing-office. 1875. 



t Report upon Ornithological Specimens collected in the Years 1871, 1872, 

 and 1873. 



