58 
Recent Ornithological Literature 
because eggs are rounder and thicker-shelled than 
comparably sized eggs of other species.—D.C.D. 
PiCMAN, J. 1997. Are cowbird eggs unusually strong 
from the inside? Auk 114: 66-73. (Dept. Biol., Univ. 
Ottawa, Ottawa, ON KIN 6N5, Can.)— Molothrus 
ater; yes.—^J.R.F. 
Prince, P. A., et al. 1993. Moult in Black-browed 
and Grey-headed Albatrosses Diomedea melano- 
phris and Diomedea chrysostoma. Ibis 135: 121- 
131. (British Antarctic Survey, Nat. Envir. Res. 
Counc., High Cross, Madingley Rd., Cambridge 
CB3 GET, UK.) 
Redeern, C. P. F. 1994. Variation in the develop¬ 
mental timing of flight-feather growth in nestling 
birds. Ibis 136: 72-78. (Dept. Med., 4th FI., Cookson 
Bldg., Med. Sch., Univ. Newcastle, Newcastle upon 
Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.) 
SCHOECH, S. J., R. L. MuMME, & J. C. WiNGEIELD. 1996. 
Prolactin and helping behaviour in the coopera¬ 
tively breeding Florida Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma 
coerulescens coerulescens. Anim. Behav. 52: 445- 
456. (Dept. Biol., Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN 
47405, USA.)—Prolactin levels correlated with 
amount of helping.—A.K.T. 
Sedinger, j. S., et al. 1997. Influence of hatch date 
versus maternal and genetic effects on growth of 
Black Brant goslings. Auk 114: 129-132. (Dept. 
Biol. Wild., Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, 
USA.)—Genetic or maternal effects account for lit¬ 
tle of seasonal decline in growth of Branta bernida 
nigricans goslings, while hatching date is signifi¬ 
cantly related to decline in size.—H.A.W. 
Shedd, B., & D. Shedd. 1996. Albinistic Blue Jay iCy- 
anocitta cristata), in Lynchburg, Virginia. Raven 
67: 101-106. (308 Sumpter Crt., Lynchburg, VA 
- 24503, USA.) 
SiEVERT, P. R. 1996. Water and energy balance con¬ 
straints on the nesting ecology of marine birds. 
Ph.D. dissert.. Dept. Biol., Univ. Pennsylvania. 
(Dept. For. Wildl. Manage., Univ. Massachusetts, 
Amherst, MA 01003-4210, USA.)—Wedge-tailed 
Shearwaters {Puffinus pacificus) nesting at unshaded 
sites in the tropics have high water efflux, poor in¬ 
cubation attendance, and low nesting success. In 
chicks of Leach's Storm-Petrel {Oceanodroma leucor- 
hoa), water balance, salt gland function, and growth 
indicate that these birds are also water limited.— 
P.R.S. 
Weathers, W. W., P. J. Hodum, & D. J. Anderson. 
1997. Is the energy cost of begging by nestling 
passerines surprisingly low? Auk 114: 133. (Dept. 
Avian Sci., Univ. California, Davis, CA 95616, 
USA.)—Only if energy is in fact supplied aerobi¬ 
cally.—S.K.W. 
WiEHN, J. 1997. Plumage characteristics as^an indi¬ 
cator of male parental quality in the American 
Kestrel. J. Avian Biol. 28: 47-55. (Lab. Ecol. ZooL, 
Dept. Biol., Univ. Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Fin¬ 
land. E-mail: jyrwie@sara.cc.utu.fi)— Falco sparver- 
ius. 
Williams, J. B. 1996. A phylogenetic perspective of 
evaporative water loss in birds. Auk 113: 457-472. 
(Dept. ZooL, Ohio State Univ., 1680 University Dr., 
Mansfield, OH 44906, USA.)—Data from 102 spe¬ 
cies for total evaporative water loss suggest new 
relationships.—^J.R.F, 
Winkler, R., & L. Jenni. 1996. Terminology in molt 
and wing feathers: use of descendant, ascendant, 
and lesser coverts. Auk 113: 968-969. (Nat. Hist. 
Mus., Augustinergasse 2, CH-4001 Basel, Switzer¬ 
land.) 
WiTMER, M. C. 1996. Consequences of an alien shrub 
on the plumage coloration and ecology of Cedar 
Waxwings. Auk 113: 735-743. (Sec. Ecol. Syst., Cor¬ 
son Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.)— 
Bombycilla cedrorum rectrices have orange tips when 
produced by birds with diets dominated by berries 
of Lonicera morrowii. —A.D.D. 
Worcester, S. E. 1996. The scaling of the size and 
stiffness of primary flight feathers. J. Zool. 239: 
609-624. (Dept. Biol., Univ. Utah, Salt Lake City, 
UT 84112, USA.) 
Yong, W., & D. Einch. 1997. A partly albino Wil¬ 
son's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). New Mexico Or- 
nithol. Soc. Bull. 25: 3-5. (Nat. Resour. Sci., 210B 
Woodward Hall, Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 
02881, USA.)—Detailed description & monochrome 
photo.—R.B.C. 
Yunick, R. P. 1996. The occurrence of green-morph 
Pine Siskins in the siskin irruption of 1989-1990. 
N. Am. Bird Bander 21: 85-87. (1527 Myran St., 
Schenectady, NY 12309-4223, USA.)—51 Carduelis 
pinus captured in New York; relatively most abun¬ 
dant in May, predominantly males.—R.B.C. 
PALEONTOLOGY, ZOOARCHAEOLOGY, 
ETHNOBIOLOGY 
Bochenski, Z. 1996. [Enantiomithes —a dominant 
group of the Cretaceous terrestrial birds.] Przegl. 
Zool. 40: 175-184. (Inst. Syst. Evol. Anim. PAS, 
Slawkowska 17, 31-016 Krakow, Poland.)— Enan- 
tiornithes could not fly well enough to cross large 
seas and disperse widely by the lower Cretaceous; 
hence, they probably radiated much earlier in the 
Bajocian (Middle Jurassic). (Polish, Engl, summ.)— 
J.P. 
Boles, W. A. 1997. Fossil songbirds (Passeriformes) 
from the Early Eocene of Australia. Emu 97: 43- 
50. (Div. Vert. Zool. (Birds), Aust. Mus., 6 College 
St., Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.)—Older by 25 
million years than oldest northern hemisphere rec¬ 
ord; supports southern origin of order.—S.R.P. 
Boles, W. E. 1993. A new cockatoo (Psittaciformes 
Cacatuidae) from the Tertiary of Riversleigh, 
northwestern Queensland, and an evaluation of 
rostral characters in the systematics of parrots. Ibis 
Issue 74 
59 
135: 8-18. (Div. Vert. Zool. (Birds), Australian Mus., 
6-8 College St., Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.)— 
Probably closely related to living Cacatua roseicap- 
illa. —^J.V.B. 
Holdaway, R. N., & T. H. Worthy. 1996. Diet and 
biology of the laughing owl Sceloglaux alhifacies 
(Aves Strigidae) on Takaka Hill, Nelson, New 
Zealand. J. Zool. 239: 545—572. (Dept. Zool., Univ. 
Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, NZ.)— 
Possil deposits demonstrate change in diet after the 
arrival of Polynesian rat Rattus exulans. —A.J.M. 
Spencer, J. W. 1996. Ostrich Struthio camelus egg¬ 
shell fragments in Yemen. Sandgrouse 17: 130- 
131. (123 Greenham Rd., Newbury, Berks. RG14 
7JE, UK.) 
PESTICIDES AND POLLUTION 
Blus, L. J. 1996. Effects of pesticides on owls in 
North America. J. Raptor Res. 30: 198-206. (USGS, 
Willamette Res. Stn., 3080 SE Clearwater Dr., Cor¬ 
vallis, OR 97333, USA.)—Comprehensive literature 
review.—^J.P.S. 
Burger, J. 1996. Heavy metal and selenium levels in 
feathers of Franklin's Gulls in interior North 
America. Auk 113: 399-407. (Ecol. Evol. Graduate 
Prog., Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ 08855, 
USA.)—Levels in breast feathers of adult and ju¬ 
venile Earns pipixcan within range reported for oth¬ 
er birds.—H.A.W. 
CitAFT, R. A., & K. P. Craft. 1996. Use of free rang¬ 
ing American Kestrels and nest boxes for contam¬ 
inant risk assessment sampling: a field applica¬ 
tion. J. Raptor Res. 30: 207-212. (Edith Angel En¬ 
viron. Res. Ctr., Inst. Wildl. Environ. Toxicol., 
Clemson Univ., Rt. 2, Box 106 A, Chariton, IA 
50049, USA.)— Falco sparverius nest productivity not 
affected by organochlorine exposure and post¬ 
hatching productivity not affected by biological 
sampling intensity, but pre-hatching nest failures 
increased with frequent sampling.—^J.P.S. 
Goldstein, M. L, et al. 1996. An assessment of mor¬ 
tality of Swainson's Hawks on wintering grounds 
in Argentina. J. Raptor Res. 30: 106-107. (Inst. 
Wildl. Environ. Toxicol., P.O. Box 709, Pendleton, 
SC 29670, USA.)—Document 4 new cases of large- 
scale mortality of Buteo swainsoni from exposure to 
pesticides used to control grasshoppers.—^J.P.S. 
Lebedeva, N. V. 1994. Bird populations in environ¬ 
ments contaminated with Sr-90. Arm. Upper Sile¬ 
sian Mus., Nat. Hist. 14: 117-122. (Dept. Ecol., Ros¬ 
tov State Univ., ul. Bol. Sadovaya 105, 344006 Ros¬ 
tov on Don, Russia.)—Nesting biology of Parus ma¬ 
jor and Ficedula hypoleuca in area of eastern Urals 
polluted with Sr-90.—^J.P. 
Newton, L, et al. 1996. Wildlife and pollution 
1995/96 annual report. JNCC Report 262. (Monks 
Wood Exp. Stn., Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, PE 17 
3LS, UK.)—Includes data on organochlorines and 
mercury in raptors.—^J.V.B. 
Olson, M. M., & D. Welsh. 1993. Selenium in Eared 
Grebe embryos from Stewart Lake National Wild¬ 
life Refuge, North Dakota. Prairie Nat. 25: 119- 
126. (USFWS, 1500 Capitol Ave., Bismarck, ND 
58501, USA.)— 16% of Podiceps nigricollis embryos 
were dead, but no deformities were noted, in spite 
of relatively high concentrations.—S.W.G. 
Pain, D. J., et al. 1993. Lead poisoning in wild pop¬ 
ulations of Marsh Harriers Circus aeruginosus in 
the Camargue and Charente-Maritime, France. 
Ibis 135: 379-386. (RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bed- 
forshire SG19 2DL, UK.) 
Wood, P. B., et al. 1996. Environmental contami¬ 
nant level in Sharp-shinned Hawks from the east¬ 
ern United States. J. Raptor Res. 30: 136-144. (W. 
Virginia Coop. Fish Wildl. Res. Unit, P.O. Box 6125, 
Morgantown, WV 26506-6125, USA.)—DDE, PCBs, 
and mercury detected most often in 23 blood, 10 
brain, and 31 liver samples from Accipiter striatus, 
but no lethal concentrations found (one possible ex¬ 
ception) and reproductive impairment unlikely.— 
J.P.S. 
MISCELLANEOUS 
Absetz, K. 1997. Aiming device for angled view tel¬ 
escopes. Alula 3: 36-37. (c/o Alula, P. O. Box 5, 
PIN-02271 Espoo, Finland).—E. H. 
Alcock, j. 1996. Male size and survival: the effects 
of male combat and bird predation in Dawson's 
burrowing bees, Amegilla dawsoni. Ecol. Entomol. 
21: 309-316. (Dept. Zool., Arizona State Univ., 
Tempe, AZ 85827-1501, USA.)—Male size and be¬ 
havioral dichotomy is maintained in Dawson's bur¬ 
rowing bees owing to greater risk of predation by 
Pied Butcherbird {Cracticus nigrogularis) and injury 
from conspecific rivals in 1 of the male morpholo¬ 
gies.—D.E.W.D. 
Cramm, a. 1995. Collection planning: the process 
and important points—the future of avian collec¬ 
tions. AZA Reg. Conf. Proc. 1995:172-173. (Lincoln 
Park Zoo, 2200 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL 60614, 
USA.) 
Diebold, E. N. 1995. Raptor TAG [Taxon Advisory 
Group] regional collection plan (RCP) workshop: 
the process. AZA Reg. Conf. Proc. 1995: 185-191. 
(Milwaukee Co. Zoo, 10001 Bluemound Rd., Mil¬ 
waukee, WI 53226, USA.) 
Diebold, E. N. 1995. The Johnson-HIHN technique: 
defining the attributes and qualities. AZA Reg. 
Conf. Proc. 1995: 202-203. (Milwaukee Co. Zoo; 
10001 Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, 
USA.)—A decision-making technique for ex¬ 
perts.—^J.C.J. 
Kikkawa, J. 1997. Individual colour banding for 
8000 birds. Corella 21: 26-31. (Dept. Zool., Univ. 
