I'70 Recent Literature. [July 



Stejneger on two new Races of Myiadestes obscurus.* — The new 

 races are M. obscurus var. occideiitalis, from the highlands of Southern 

 Mexico and Guatemala, and M. obscurns var. hisjilans, from the Tres 

 Marias Islands. — J. A. A. 



Stejneger's Synopsis of the West Indian Species of Myiadestes.! 

 — Eight species are recognized, two of which (7)/. sanctcehicice, M. dom- 

 in'icamis) are described as new. — J. A. A. 



National Museum Desiderata of American Birds. J — Mr. Ridgwaj 

 has published a list of Middle and South American birds not contained in 

 the National Museum down to July, 1881, and also a list of special desid- 

 erata among North American birds§. These latter consist mainly of young, 

 especially those in the first plumage. The species wholly unrepresented 

 are very few, but quite a number are represented by only extra-limital 

 speciinens. — J. A. A. 



Dubois on Geographical Variation in the Crossbills. || — M. Dubois 

 reviews the genus Loxia from the standpoint of geographical variation. 

 In his introductorj^ remarks he refers to his having previously called the 

 attention of naturalists to the variability of certain birds, and to his having 

 attempted to show that a large number of species are in reality simplj^ 

 climatic varieties. These varieties, races, or subspecies, he holds to be the 

 result of the action of climate, food, or other "fortuitous causes" upon size 

 and coloration, and states that his morphological studies have demonstrated 

 that species are variable in proportion to the extent of their area of dis- 

 persion. "Although claiming priority in the matter of reuniting Z,oa!/a 

 americana to the European L. criicirostra (Conspectus syst. et geogr. 

 Avium europ., 1871, p. 18), he hints at no general laws of geographical 

 or climatic variation. In regard to the Crossbills, which he cites in illus- 

 tration of his views, he refers the eight recognized forms o{ Loxia to three 

 species, as follows: i. L. pityopsittacus ; 2. L. cruc/roatra (I-.inn., 1766), 

 with varieties (a) rt;«er/c(7;?(7, {b) mexicana {c) himalayana ; 3. L. leucop- 

 tera, with varieties ((?) bifasct'afa, {b) amnrensis, the last here first distin- 

 guished. — J. A. A. 



* Description of two new Races of Myadestes obscurus Lafr. By Leonhard Stej- 

 neger. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, pp. 371-374. Apr. 6, 1882. 



t Synopsis of the West Indian Myiadestes. By Leonhard Stejneger. Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., 1882, pp. 15-27, pi. ii. June 5, 1882. 



J List of Species of Middle and South American Birds not contained in the United 

 States National Museum. By Robert Ridgway. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, pp. 165- 

 203. Aug. and Nov., 1881. 



^S List of Special Desiderata among North American Birds. By Robert Ridgway. 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, pp. 207-223. Nov., 1881. 



11 De la Variabilite des Oiseaux du genre Loxia. Par M. Alph. Dubois, Conservateur 

 au Musee royal d'histoire naturelle de Belgique. Extrait du Bulletin du Musee royal 

 d'histoire naturelle de Belgique, Tome I. Oct. 1882. 



