170 
TIIlv CONDOR 
Vol. XI I! 
uni'orluiiale hyloscupiis, thus (lisineiiibered, is 
finall)' restricted to a sleuder thread of territor\' 
winding over parts of southern California and 
along the coast, except in the extreme north- 
western corner of the state: and the threat ini- 
jilied in the statement that the t\ pe of the suh- 
s])ecies, from San Jose, California, is not realh' 
l\'pical of an\' form, leads ns to fear that itmaj' 
even he cast out from this, its last refuge! 
The name of the big Northern Hairy Wood- 
pecker is changed to Dryotm/cs vH/osus septeu- 
Irionalis (Nnttall) on grounds which may or 
may not he considered adequate. The range 
of 77. V. piioideus is given as including I’rince 
of Wales Island, .Vlaska, a \ iew with which 
the present re\ iewer does not agree at all, for 
rea.sons alread}' detailed elsewhere. .Vlso the 
statements that harrisi is remarkably uniform 
in size and color, over its entire range, and 
that there is ver}' little indi\-idnal variation in 
the form, are not borne out b}’ an Alaskan series 
at haml, evidently more extensi\-e than the 
material from that region at the disjjosal of 
.Mr. Oberholser. 
However, these are matters of detail, ami 
largel}’ of opinion, Imt whether or not one feels 
inclined to give names to all of the rather 
slightly differentiated varieties here recognized, 
there is no question at all as to the \'alue and 
excellence of IMr. ( iberholser’s work. Careful 
discrimination is recpiired in the handling of a 
difficidt group like the one under discussion, 
and we have in the present paper an accurate 
resume of the problem. The descriptions and 
critical comments are such as will always be re- 
turned to by future workers, the key to the 
subspecies, contained in the introduction, is ex- 
cellently devised (if all the indi\idnals of a 
subspecies would onl}’ be ‘'typical"!), and the 
map cmtlining the breeding ranges is a decided- 
ly \’aluable feature of the paper. — 1 1. S. S. 
.\ Revision of the For.msoftiie T.addkr- 
K.vcKEi) Woodpecker (Jhyohates scalaris 
[Wagler]). By H.\rrv C. ( hsERiiOLSER. [ - 
I’roc. I'. S. National (Museum, Vol. -11, pji. l,Ti- 
TSb, pi. 12 (map): published June .10, 1011.] As 
one of the results of Mr. ( Ilierholser's study of 
this group “the six currently recognized races 
are here increased to fifteen. ’’ In jilace of 
/'>rvobates s. bairdi, heretofore considered to be 
the form ranging along the southern border of 
the Hnited .States, from Texas to southern Cali- 
fornia, we have here two races described, 77,?. 
symplectiis, the Texas Woodpecker, and 77 s. 
cacfophihis (t 3 ’pe locality Tucson, Arizona), the 
form occurring in northern (Mexico, western 
Texas, New IMexico, Arizona, and .southern 
California. 7)Mf; if? is restricted to a compara- 
tively limited area in central Mexico. Neither 
of the two subspecies regarded as inhabiting 
Lower California (77 s. ereuiicus in the north- 
ern, and J). s. huasaniis in the southern half 
of the peninsula) is considered to occur in 
southern California, specimens from the Colo- 
rado Desert formerly identified as 77 Incasa- 
?nts, being now regarded as variants of cacto- 
phi/us showing intergradation with 77 .v. cre- 
niicus. — 1 1. S. S. 
De.scription of .-k New Spotted Towiiee 
FROM THE HRE.VT B.\SIN. Bv J. ( 1 R IiNNFlEE. 
[ Univ. Calif. I’ubl. Zook, vol. 7, August 24, 
1911, pp, ,109 — ,111.] The Towhee of northern 
Nevada, northeastern California and southern 
< Iregon is here separated as a distinct form, 
under the name of Pipilo macnlafus ciirtahis, 
tvpe localit}’ Bine h'orest Mountains, Nevada, 
h'rom P. nt. )>iontanHS of Arizona and New 
Mexico it is distinguished by shorter wing and 
tail, and darker coloration: from P. nt. tnega- 
lotty.v bj- somewhat paler coloration, greater 
extent of white markings, and much shorter 
hind-toe-and-claw. It is a migratory form, 
the summer range about as given above, while 
winter s]3ecimens were secured on the lower 
Colorado River. — 11. S. S. 
A New Beuf; Hrosbe.vk from C.veiforni.v. 
Bv J. (Irinneee. [ Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 
\ ol. xxi\-, June 19, 1911, p. 16,1.] The Cali- 
fornia Blue (Irosbeak, here named Guiraca 
caerulea .salicarius. {type localit}’ Colton, .San 
Bernardino Count}’) , is separated from G. c. 
laziila main!}’ on the smaller size and different 
proportions of the bill. The two forms are in- 
distinguishable in color, both differing from 
G. c. caerulea of the South .\tlantic .States in 
the paler blue coloration of the male bird. — 11. 
S. S. 
E.vrlv Sum.mer Bird.s in Vosemite 7Lt.E- 
EEY. Bv J.dRiNNEEL. [:=.Sierra Club Bulletin, 
vol. .S, June, 1911, pp. 118-124.] A sketch of 
the birds observed in the valley during a ten 
days visit (IMay 22 to June 1, 1911). The species 
met with during this time, fiftj’-five in number, 
are listed at the end of the article: while of the 
more interesting or conspicuous ones, portions 
of life history or particulars of the manner of 
occurrence, are detailed in the body of the pa- 
per. The best find was a nest of the Calaver- 
as 7Varbler: another, nearly as good, one of 
the Winter Wren. 
The number of species noted seems to justify 
the conclusion that “in abundance and variety 
of its bird life Vosemite is at the ver}- least as 
well provided for as any other part of the M'est 
of similar climatic and floral qualifications”: 
though the magnificent .scenic attractions are .so 
engrossing as to assist at first to a different im- 
liression. 
The paper closes with a list of the five titles 
previously published relative to the birds of 
Vosemite Valiev. — 1 1. ,S. .S. 
