June 13, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



569 



The birds of the District of Colvimbia have 

 been more closely studied than any other 

 group of vertebrates, and the present total 

 comprises about 300 species and subspecies. 

 The earliest list of the birds of the District of 

 Columbia, consisting of 322 species, was pub- 

 lished by David Baillie Warden in 181G. 

 There are, however, scattered through the 

 writings of earlier authors, many references 

 to the birds of this region. A partial bibliog- 

 raphy mentions the more important papers on 

 the avifauna. 



Of mammals there are now 41 species 

 known from the vicinity of Washington, of 

 which 3 were originally described from mate- 

 rial collected here. It is of more than pass- 

 ing interest to note that within historic times 

 the buffalo, elk, white-tailed deer and puma 

 all lived about Washington. 



A brief account of the history of early man 

 in the District shows that the Xorth American 

 Indians inhabiting this region were of Algon- 

 quian stock, but all departed about the year 

 1700. 



The most important part of this bulletin, 

 at least from the standpoint of general biol- 

 ogy, is the discussion under the " Distribution 

 of Life in the District of Columbia Region," 

 and particularly that relating to the piedmont 

 plateau and coastal plain as faunal and floral 

 provinces. The characteristics of the pied- 

 mont plateau and the coastal plain are ex- 

 plained, as is also the geological significance 

 of the fall line separating them. The text- 

 figure map showing the fall line and also the 

 islands of coastal plain deposits within the 

 piedmont plateau area is an illuminating ad- 

 dition to this discussion. The conclusion 

 reached is that the fall line acts as a more or 

 less definite faunal barrier, most so in the 

 case of plants and insects. The substantia- 

 tion of this statement, so far as the plants are 

 concerned, is furnished in long lists of species 

 restricted respectively to the piedmont plateau 

 and to the coastal plain. 



Fully as interesting from an ecological 

 point of view is the discussion of the magnolia 

 bogs about Washington in their relation to 



the pine barrens of New Jersey. The author 

 seems conclusively to show that a large per- 

 centage of characteristic pine barren plants 

 are present in these magnolia bogs (so called 

 because the swamp magnolia [Magnolia vir- 

 giniana'i is the one plant never absent from 

 them), and to reach the apparently sound con- 

 clusion that the absence of pine barrens in 

 the District of Columbia region is due solely 

 to the absence of extensive areas of suitable 

 soil deposits. These magnolia bogs, by fur- 

 nisliing a habitat where the typical pine 

 barren plants are relieved from competition 

 with the ordinary vegetation of the district, 

 serve to preserve the survivors of the plant 

 waves that accompanied the successive de- 

 pressions of the Atlantic Coast region. 



An account is given also of the other types 

 of collecting ground about Washington, with 

 mention of localities where such are to be 

 found, together with some of the more desir- 

 able plants and animals to be obtained at each. 



A decidedly useful feature of this bulletin 

 is a map of the District of Columbia and 

 vicinity in four sheets, on which, by means of 

 close cross index lines, the old collecting spots, 

 archeological sites, and minor topographical 

 details have been indicated, so far as it has 

 been possible to ascertain them. An index of 

 23 pages furnishes a ready means of refer- 

 ence. The map and its index have apparently 

 been prepared with exceedingly great care, 

 and will prove a boon to any one who has 

 occasion to work on the local natural history. 



Mr. McAtee has brought together an aston- 

 ishing amount of importnnt. not to say inter- 

 esting, information concerning the biota of 

 the District of Columbia, and not only will 

 his bulletin prove a mine of riches for the 

 local student, but will, as well, be of value to 

 all ecological investigators. 



Harry C. Oberholser 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 



THE AMPHIBIOIDEI. A GROUP OF FISHES 



PROPOSED TO INCLUDE THE CROSSOP- 



TERYGII AND THE DIPflEUSTI 



The typical fishes or Teleostomi (Osteich- 

 thyes) obviously form a monophyletic group, 



