46 
THE CONDOR 
| Vol. VII 
have devasted the bird colonies. Owing to the fact that Japan claimed the island, the naturalists 
were not allowed to use firearms, or rather to land with them, the Japanese officers in charge 
evidently fearing that the explorers might cherish hostile intentions. The islet is composed of 
coral, and is triangular in shape, with the sides about one and a half miles long. It is covered 
with trees and bushes except on the beaches, and harbors a considerable varietv of sea birds. Rut 
to the disappointment of Mr. Bryan, no land birds were discovered. The special portion of the 
report includes an account of the birds, of which 18 species are listed, with short notices of the 
reptiles (2 species), insects, molluscs, crustaceans, botany, and an appendix containing a list of 
fishes by Bryan and Albert C. Herre. One new bird is described, Micranous marcusi, which is 
most nearly related to the noio, .//. hawaiiensis. The account of the bird life is of great inter- 
est and value, and we are tempted to make extensive extracts. Even a casual glance at the 
paper will show that the author made good use of his week's sojourn on the island, and later has 
made good use of his pen. Space will permit, however, only a part of the story of the Laysan 
albatross which used to breed abundantly on the island. Only one bird was seen alive by Mr. Bryan. 
"The story of the Marcus Island colony of goonies is one of death and extermination. In 
the beginning of the operations of the Japanese company on the island goonies were fairly 
abundant. Not being able to find guano by their crude methods, the}' developed a scheme 
whereby they were able to make a marketable commodity by killing the birds and boiling them 
down in great kettles. The resultant, consisting of flesh, bones and viscera, was barreled and 
shipped to Japan where it was used as a fertilizer. The long wing feathers of all the birds were 
pulled out and carefully preserved to be shipped to America and Europe -and sold as ‘eagle feath- 
ers,’ which were in great demand for trimming on ladies’ hats. The feathers from the breast 
were plucked off and sold by the pound. A profitable business was then developed, with the 
deplorable result that within six years the entire colony of these splendid birds has been 
exterminated.” A specimen of Lams vegce was secured from one of the residents of the island. 
Additionai, Notes on Birds of the Uppeh Pecos. Bv Florence Merriam Bailey. 
From The Auk, XXI, July, 1904, pp. 348— 363. 
This paper is in some ways supplementary to Hensliaw and Nelson's “List of Birds Observed 
in Summer and ball on the Upper Pecos River, New Mexico “(Aux II, 1885, pp. 326 — 333; III, 
1886 pp. 73-80) and consists of observations made on the Pecos Forest Reserve, and carried to an 
altitude of 13,300 feet on Pecos Baldy and Truchas Peaks. The list comprises 94 species, with 
annotations, some of which are quite extended, and written in Mrs. Bailey’s usual clear style. 
The Origin and Distribution oe the Chestnut-Back ed Chickadee. By Joseph 
Grinnei.E. From The Auk, XXI, July, 1904, pp. 364-382. 
In this paper Mr. Grinnell points out the probable origin of the chestnut-backed and 
H udsonian chickadee from a common ancestor, "Par us pre-hudsonicus ,” the chestnut backed 
having differentiated first as a race of this hypothetical form. Finally through isolation it be- 
came a full species, restricted to the humid coast belt, while hudsonicus , another subspecies of 
“ pre-hudsonicus became confined to the boreal arid interior. Each species then differentiated 
races of its own as its range extended into new faunal conditions. The paper is illustrated by- 
two maps and a chart. 
A Preliminary Review oe the Birds oi- Nebraska, with Synopses. By Lawrence 
Bruner, Robert H. Walcott, Myron II. Swenk, (no date; received Oct. 8, 1904.) S vo. 125 
pages. Klopp & Bartlett Co.. Omaha, Neb. 
The synopses and careful annotations make this book really a manual of the birds of 
Nebraska, a manual at least that a student with some knowledge of birds will be able to handle. 
The paper is prefaced by an essay on “Birds in Relation to Agriculture and Horticulture” by 
Prof. Bruner. The annotations are short but definite, and are concerned entirely with the status 
of the species. We note that the authors have joined the ranks of the “non-possessive ornitholo- 
gists,” all of which indicates how the wind is blowing. This paper is decidedly a credit to its 
authors and to Nebraskan ornithologists. The reviewer hopes that the Cooper Ornithological Club 
will sometime be able to bring out a book on California birds modeled somethingafter this brochure. 
Additions to Mitchell s List oe the Summer Birds oe San Miguel County, New 
Mexico. Bv Florence Merriam Bailey. From The Aux, XXI, Oct. 1904, pp. 443-449. 
This paper lists 56 species, being additions to Dr. Walton I. Mitchell’s list of 85 species. The 
notes were taken during about two months of Biological Survey work spread over the three sum- 
mer months. The paper opens with a description of the country and its faunal characteristics. 
No work was done in the northern part of the county east of the line between Las Vegas 
and Mora, which would probably have brought in a number of additional mountain species. 
Description of Four New Birds from Mexico. By E. W. Nelson. From Proc. 
Biol. Soc. Wash. XVII, Oct. 6, 1904, pp. 151-152. 
In this paper are described the following new forms: Porzana goldmani, from the valley of 
