i7° 
Recent Literature. 
[July 
Stejneger on two new Races of Myiadestes obscurus.* * * § — The new 
races are M. obscurus var. occidentalism from the highlands of Southern 
Mexico and Guatemala, and M. obscurus var. insular is, from the Tres 
Marias Islands. — J. A. A. 
Stejneger’s Synopsis of the West Indian Species of Myiadestes. f 
— Eight species are recognized, two of which (M. sanctcelucice , M. dom- 
inicanus') are described as new. — J. A. A. 
National Museum Desiderata of American Birds. X — Mr. Ridgway 
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 
specimens.— J. A. A. 
Dubois on Geographical Variation in the Crossbills. || — M. Dubois 
reviews the genus Loxia from the standpoint of geographical variation. 
In his introductory 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 simply 
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 Loxia 
americana to the European L. crucirostra (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 of Loxia to three 
species, as follows : 1. L. ftityofisittacus ; 2. L. crucirostra (Linn., 1766), 
with varieties ( a ) americana , ( b ) mexicana (c) himalayana ; 3. L. leucofi- 
teram with varieties («) bifasciata , ( b ) amurensis , 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. 
f Synopsis of the West Indian Myiadestes. By Leonhard Stejneger. Proc. U. S. 
Nat. Mus., 1882, pp. 15-27, pi. ii. June 5, 1882. 
+ 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. 
§ List of Special Desiderata among North American Birds. By Robert Ridgway. 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, pp. 207-223. Nov., 1881. 
|| De la Variability 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. 
