942 Recently published Ornithologicul Works. [Ibis, 



GrinneU's recent paper's. 



[The Eng-lish Sparrow lias arrived in Death Valley: au experiment in 

 nature. By J. Grinnell. Amer. Nat. liii. 1919, pp. 468-473.] 



[Life-Zone indicators in California. By Harvey iMonroe Hall and 

 Joseph Grinnell. Proc. Gal. Acad. Sri. (4) ix. 1919, pp. 37-67.] 



Tlie English Sparrow tliongli introduced into tlie United 

 States in tlie early sixties, did not s|)read into southern 

 California till about 1907, when it was noticed at Los 

 Angeles. In 1917 Mr. Grinnell found it on a ranclie in 

 Death Valley in southern California at an elevation of about 

 178 feet beloiv sea-level. This spot has a climate of the 

 greatest extreme in the direction of high temperature com- 

 bined with low relative huuiidity of any place in North 

 Anun'ica, and a temperature of 134° Fahrenheit in the 

 shade has been recorded. 



Mr. Grinnell has carefully compared the Death Valley 

 Sparrow with others from various parts of the North 

 American continent, and has completely failed to find any 

 peculiarities among them. Some remarks on this natural 

 experiment add to the interest of this note. 



The distribution of animals and plants according to Life 

 Zones depending primarily on latitude, humidity and eleva- 

 tion, but largely modified by local disturbing conditions, was 

 first worked out by Dr. Merriam many years ago, and is 

 now generally accepted l)y American naturalists. In this 

 paper Mr. Grinnell and his botanical collaborator Prof. Hall 

 have given selected lists of plants and aniuiafs, including 

 birds, carefully drawn u|) as characteristic of the dif- 

 ferent life-zones in California, chiefly for the guidance 

 and assistance of field-naturalists in that State. 



J. H. Gurneifs Ornithological Report. 



[Ornithological notes from Norfolk f(^r 1919. 26th annual report. 

 By J. H. Gurney. British Birds, xiii. 1920, pp. 250-268.] 



The most interesting feature of Mr. Gurney's last annual 

 report is the account of tlie great mortality which occurred 

 among the Hooks arriving on the Norfolk coasts from the 

 sea about the end of October. A very strong easterly gale 



