t6o 
THE CONDOR 
VOL. V 
Notks ON THE Birds Peculiar TO La YSAN Island, Hawaiian Group. By Walter K. 
Fisher. From ‘The Auk’ XX, pp. 384-397, plates XII-XVI, Oct. 1903. 
The author discusses the habits of the land birds of Laysan Island, and to some extent their 
relationships. This paper is an amplification of certain notes published in ‘Birds of Laysan, etc.,’ 
with the addition of several photographs not appearing in that paper. The reproductions are 
much better, and demonstrate the mistake made by the publishers of the ‘Birds of La5’sen’ in at- 
tempting a cheap means of reproducing an exceptionally valuable set of pictures. 
It is indeed singular that such a small island as Laysan should possess three land birds be- 
sides a rail and a duck, all peculiar. — Josp:ph GrinnelL. 
Bird.s of the Slskiyou Mountains, California: A Problem in Dlstrbution. By 
M.alcolm P. .\nderson and Josf;ph Grinnell. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sciences, Philad., pp. 4-15, 
Apr. 17, 1903. 
The .Siskiyou mountains in northern California are interesting faunally because they are a 
wedge between the more or less ‘arid’ Sierras on the east and the e.xcess ively moist coast belt on 
the west. The first portion of the paper concerns itself with the physiography of the region, and 
a list of the principal forest trees is given, all of which are characteristic .Sierran forms. The only 
peculiar tree to this range, Picea breweriana, seems to have been overlooked. The Transition, 
Canadian, and Hudsonian Zones are represented. 
As would be expected a priori, the avifauna proves to be a mixture of the Humid Coast 
Fauna and the .\rid Sierran, and the “list is a remarkable one as showing the association of a 
number of birds not unusually found together.’’ Forty-three species are listed. Vireo huitoni 
obscuriis is found to be untenable. 
A List of Land Birds f'rom Central Washington. By Robert Pi. .Snodgra.ss. From 
‘The Auk,’ XX, pp. 202-209, April, 1903. 
During the summer of 1902 Mr. Snodgrass conducted a biological collecting expedition to the 
interesting Grand Coulee country of Central Washington, and the ornithological results are em- 
bodied in the present paper. The Grand Coulee is the bed of an ancient and temporarv short-cut 
for the Columbia river around the eastern face of the old glaciers which flowed southward and 
eastward from the mountains. It is a gorge fift}" miles long, and from one to two miles wide cut 
down three hundred to five hundred feet into the basalt. The country in this region is for the most 
part very desolate, being given over to the cultivation of wheat, and ‘‘there is nothing left of 
Nature but the air and the dust of the road. ’’ Fifty-two species of land birds were listed, with 
brief annotations. 
On the Terre.strial Vertebratfls of Portion.s of Southern New Mexico and We.st- 
ERN Texa.s. By WiTMER Stonf: and Jame.s .L. G. Rehn. Proc. .Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. pp. 16- 
33, May 7, 1903. 
Mr. Stone has given us a list of forty-one species of birds secured by Messrs. Rehn and 
Viereck in the Sacramento Mountain region of south central New Mexico, and the extreme 
western portion of Texas. Specimens of thirty-one of the species were taken, the other ten being 
admitted 011 field identification. The range of Spizella atrisrularis is extended eastward by the 
capture of a specimen at Dry Canyon, Otero Co., N. M. 
DR.SCRIPT10N.S OF New Genera Srecie.s and Sub.species of .American Bird.s. By Rob- 
ert Ridgw.vy. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XVI, 105-112, Sept. 30, 1903- 
In this paper Mr. Ridgway publishes diagnoses of four new genera of swallows, and twenty 
new species and subspecies of North and Middle .American birds. These new forms are included 
in Part HI of “Birds of North and Middle .America,’’ “now mostly in print, the further printing 
and publication of which has been postponed until afterjune, 1904.” Of interest to western bird 
students is .9/.? from Western .Alaska; Lantus ludovicianns inearnsi, from 
.Sail Clemente Island, Cal., and Santa Margarita Island, Lower California; Pceolophus itiornatus 
restridiis, “vicinity of San Francisco Bay, Cal.’’; Bceolophus inoruatus uiitrinus, Southern Cali- 
fornia and northern Lower California; Psa/triparus miniums saiiiraius, “vicinity of Puget 
Sound’’; Chamcea fasciata riifula, “central coast district of California, in Marin, San Francisco 
and Santa Clara counties.’’ Part HI of Mr. Ridgway ’s great work will contain much of especial 
value to Californians and we greatly regret the unlooked for delay in its appearance. The cause, 
needless to say, is due to circumstances over which the author has no control. 
Thf: North American Form.s of Astragalinu.s psaltria (Say), By Harry C. Oberhol- 
.SER. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington XVI, 113-116, Sept. 30, 1903. 
Mr. Oberholser has briefly reviewed the North .American forms of Astrag;a/iniis psaltria of 
