58 



THE OOLOGIST 



Publications Received. 



Volume 7, No. 3, University of Cali- 

 fornia publications in zoology, by Wal- 

 ter P. Taylor. "An apparent Hybrid 

 in the genus Dendorcia." 



This interesting paper describes a 

 supposed hybrid in this interesting 

 family, and is quite exhaustive and 

 reaches the conclusion that the hy- 

 brid under discussion is Audubon! 

 Coronata. 



Same, No. 4, by Joseph Grinnell. 



This describes a Linnett, being a 

 technical discussion of the status of 

 the Linnett of the Hawaiian Islands. 



Same, No. 6, by H. S. Swarth. This 

 describes two new species of Marmots 

 from Northwestern America. 



Same, No. 5, by Joseph Grinnell. 

 "The Modesto Song Sparrow." De- 

 scribing a series of supposedly differ- 

 ent Song Sparrows under the name of 

 iVIelospisa melodia maiilardi. 



This is another example of the ex- 

 tent to which hair-splitting is going 

 in our modern ornithology. It has 

 now reached the stage where the dif- 

 ferentiation is largely predicated upon 

 the following extraordinary (?) con- 

 dition. 



"In coloration iVlaiendi differs from 

 iVIaillardi only in being a trifle less 

 heavily marked on an average; that 

 is, it is massifect of the compared 

 series," — whatever this may mean. 



This newly discovered sub-species 

 is supposed to be limited territorially 

 to or nearly to the Roncho dos Rios 

 near Modesto. This is as it should be. 

 Each and every ranch owner in the 

 United States under the present 

 methods of differentiation . ought 

 reasonably to be entitled to a sub- 

 species of Song Sparrow, Red-Winged 

 Blackbird, Horned Lark, or other bird, 

 supposedly confined to his particular 

 ranch. But why stop here? Why not 

 give the thrifty agriculturalist the 

 privilege of having a different geo- 

 graphical race confined to each dif- 

 ferent field. Selah! 



Tlie Cry of the Printer — Copy 



We have repeatedly called attention 

 to the fact that it takes a great deal 

 of copy to furnish as large a magazine 

 as we are now putting out. We trust 

 our readers will not be sparing in 

 sending us bright, crisp, fresh bird 

 news. 



It is our purpose to devote most of 

 the April issue to the Woodpecker 

 family, and all copy for publication 

 must reach us prior to April 1st; and 

 all copy accompanied by illustrations 

 must reach us at least five days be- 

 fore that time to insure its insertion. 



It may surprise some of you to 

 know that it took just four solid pages 

 of typewritten matter, each nine inches 

 long to supply the copy for this one 

 issue of THE OOLOGIST. 



.Evening Grosbeak. 



Editor Evening News: 



My attention was called to your 

 very interesting article from the 

 Rochester Herald on the evening gros- 

 beak. I can state that in the winter 

 of 1889-90 specimens were shot by Mr. 

 D. Fenton and Dr. W. D. Bergtold in 

 Delaware Park, and, if my recollec- 

 tions serve me right, are now in the 

 collection of the Buffalo Society of 

 Natural Sciences. I informed some of 

 my friends across the river, in Sherks- 

 ton, Welland County, Ont., of the fact 

 and to my delight they found a very 

 large flock of these beautiful gros- 

 beaks, that subsisted on various ber- 

 ries, principally those of bitter sweet 

 and elderberries and a goodly number 

 were secured for me. 



They are handsomely colored birds, 

 forehead, yellow; crown, black; sides 

 of head, olive-brown, becoming dull 

 yellow on rump; belly and scapulars, 

 yellow; wings and tail, black; end of 

 the secondaries and their coverts, 

 white. L., 8.00; W., 4.&0-; T., 3.50; B., 



