Sept., 1905 | 
THE EDITOR’S BOOK SHELF 
M7 
Toluca, Mexico; Enipidonaxfulvifrons fusciceps, Highlands of Chiapas; Arre monops supercitio- 
sus chiapensis , valley of the Chiapas River; Telmatodytes patnstris to/uceusis, Tuluca Valley. 
On a Collection of Biros and Mammals from Mount Sanhedrin, California. By 
W TIMER STONE. (With F'ield Notes by A. S. Bunnell.) From Proc, Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 
Oct. 17, 1904, pp 576-585. 
This paper is based on a collection of birds anil mammals from Mount Sanhedrin, Mendocino 
Countv, taken by Mr. A. S. Bunnell. A short account is given of the phvsiographical and faunal 
features of the peak, which attains an elevation of 5000 feet. The mountain is drained by one of 
the tributaries of Eel River and is covered with Douglas spruce and ‘ponderosa’ pines. Mr. Bun- 
nell is in error, however, in supposing that the mountain reaches the Hudsonian zone. It is even 
extremely doubtful if there is any undiluted Canadian, even on the north side. The list of birds 
includes SS species, all the land birds being representative Upper Sonoran and Transition forms, 
but some of them also occurring in Canadian. The list is of especial interest on account of the 
paucity of records from this general region. We note that Mr. .Stone accepts Cyauocitta stelleri 
carbonacea , and we hope that he will persuade the Committee on Nomenclature to coincide with 
his views. 
List of Birds Collected in Alaska by the Andew j. Stone Expedition of 1903. Bv 
Frank M. Chapman. From Bull. Atner. Mus. Nat. Hist. XX, Nov. 4, 1904, pp. 399-40(1. 
* Mr. Chapman has given an account of 62 species of birds collected at several localities on the 
Alaska Peninsula and Kenai Peninsula, from May 19 to October S, by Mr. M. P. Anderson, a 
member of the expedition Twenty water birds are listed and forty-two land birds. Cyauocitta 
stelleri borealis is maintained as a valid race and Dendroica coronata hooveri is regarded 
as untenable. 
A Biological Reconnaisance of the Base of the Alaska Peninsula. By Wilfred 
H. Osgood. North American Fauna No. 24. Nov. 23, 1904, 86 pp. Mil plates. 
This report “contains an account of a hasty trip made during the latter part of the summer 
and fall of 1902 to the base of the Alaska Peninsula. Work was done on both coasts and in part 
of the interior." The preliminary portion of the paper contains the following subheads; Intro- 
duction; General Account (Outline of Route, Iliamna Bay to Lake Clark, Lake Clark to Nusliagak, 
Nushagak to Cold Bay); Life Zones; Previous Work. Then follows a List of Mammals and a List 
of Birds, the latter comprising pages 51 to Si. Mr. Osgood considers the greater part of the Alaskan 
Peninsula to belong to the Arctic zone, which is especially characterized by the absence of tim- 
ber. The Hudsonian zone sends a tongue of timber south of Lake Iliamna. The characteristic 
animals were found to conform very satisfactorily to this division of the area A map graphically 
illustrates the areas occupied by the two zones. One hundred thirty birds are listed, of which 
seventy are water birds. The notes, in several cases extended, include information on the 
status of the species in the region under discussion, distribution, critical matter, and observations 
on the habits. Numerous half-tone illustrations from photographs admirably illustrate the char- 
acter of the region visited. 
The Birds of North and Middle America, etc. Part III. Bv Robert Ridgway. 
8 vo, pp. I — XX-t-i — 801, pi 1 . 1 — XIX! Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 50, Pt. III.) 
Volume three of Mr. Ridgway's well-known work appeared during the last days of 1904, and 
contains accounts of the following families: Motacillidie, Hirundinidse, Ampelidae, Ptilogo- 
natidse, Dulidte, Vireonidae, Latiiidae, Corvidae, Pandas, Sittidae, Certhiidae, Troglodvtidae, 
Cinclidae, Chatnaeidae, Svlviidoe. It is thus full of interest to the student of western birds. 
Among the few changes in nomenclature may be noted the following: Vireosylva , and 
Lanivireo are accorded generic rank; Crudes replaces Perisoreus (p. 750); and Penthestes be- 
comes the generic name of our common chickadees, Purus being restricted to the old world, 
with Purus major as type. 
Among the Paridae a number of additions and changes are to be noted. Our plain titmouse 
of the San Francisco Bay region is described as Baeatophus i nornat us test rictus and that of the 
.Sail Diegan district as B. i. muriuus. Beeo/opbus 700/hccberi is restricted to the highlands of 
Mexico, and the form from the United States is called B. re. an nexus (Cassin). Psattriparus 
minimus satin at us is described as new (Puget Sound). 
'Troglodytes aedon as teens is made a synonym of P a. parkmani and consequently drops out 
of nomenclature. Sul pi nctes obso/etus putverius is recognized, as are also Pehnatodvtes p. thryo- 
philus, Phrvomunes b. eremophilus, T. b. cerroensis, T. b nesophitus , /'. b drymeveus, and 
Cat herpes mexieanus potioptilus, Corvus brachyrhynctws hesperis and Cyauocitta s. carbcnacea . 
Corvus can rinus is reduced to a subspecies of brac/iyrhync/ios. Our water ouzel becomes Cinclus 
mexieanus unicolor the typical form being found in Mexico and Central America. The Califor- 
nia checklist receives an addition by the recording of C 0 riots corax c/arioueusis from the Santa 
Barbara Islands. 
In the preface we are told that "Part IV, which is about half completed, includes the Tur- 
didse (Thrushes), Mimidae (Mockingbirds), Alaudidse (Larks', Sturnidae (Starlings), Ploceidae 
(Weaver Birds), Oxyruucidse (Sharp-bills), Tvrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers), Pipridae (Manakins), 
and Cotingidae (Chatterers). In the three volumes which have been published there have been 
described about 1250 species and subspecies, or about two-fifths of the total number of North and 
Middle American birds.” — Walter K. Fisher. 
