The text continues as heretofore to consider the subjects under the formal heads of—Locality—Position—Materials—Eggs—Differential Points—Remarks; the latter head usually covering the most matter. We are glad to see that the authors now fill, as a rule, their sheets of letter-press—there is certainly enough to be said on the subject for that! The pagination of the letter-press reaches p. 104 with the end of No. 9.
It is never untimely to suggest that when works published in this manner come to be bound, especially if the parts are made up in any other order than sequence of publication, the original cover-titles should be preserved; there being no intrinsic evidence, either in the text or on the plates, of dates of publication or of contents of Parts; and it may not be too early to suggest to the authors that explicit indication of these points should be given with the permanent title, contents, etc., of the finished work.—E. C.
Shufeldt’s “The Claw on the Index Digit of the Cathartidæ.”[[30]]—We regret being obliged to make unfavorable criticisms, but this paper contains such important errors, both in regard to the structure of birds and the literature of the subject, that some rectification seems necessary. Dr. Shufeldt describes the claw at the end of the first finger of Catharista atrata as a new discovery, considering that claws outside the Ostrich groups have not hitherto been described, and also states that it is a point of distinction between the Old and New World Vultures. Unfortunately Nitzsch[[31]] long ago described the claw on the first finger of birds in the following words: “Die Analogie, welche die Flügel der Vögel mit den Vorderfüssen der Säugthiere und Reptilien haben, zeigt sich auch in den Spuren von Nägel- oder Klauenbildung, welche an den Finger jener Glieder oftmals gefunden werden. Dieser Bildung macht es zugleich wahrscheinlich, dass die Urform der Flügel in der Fussform, oder doch in einer, dieser sehr ähnlichen, bestand; denn die Nägel gehören den Füssen an, sie haben im Kreise der Flügelfunkzion keine Bedeutung, und sind da wohl nur durch zweckloses Nachahmen und Ueberbleiben der Fussform.” Farther on he describes the skeleton of the hand as follows: “Die Hand der Vögel hat drei Finger, 1) den Daumen, welcher (ohne das Nagelglied) aus einem Stücke, 2) den grossen Finger, der (ohne das Nagelglied) aus zwei Stücken oder Gliedern, und 3) den kleinen Finger, der stets nur aus einen Stücke besteht.” Since Nitzsch’s memoir was written his observations have been extended, and mentioned by many anatomists, as Meckel, in his Anatomy, by Blainville, by Selenka in Bronn’s “Thiereichs,” by myself in this Bulletin for 1881, by Professor Morse in the “Anniversary Memoirs” of the Boston Society of Natural History. Accordingly the claw on the first finger is anything but an unknown object. It is constantly demonstrating its existence to practical ornithologists by pricking their fingers while measuring bird’s wings. That the claw is absent in the Old World Vultures is also an error if we may trust the high authority of Nitzsch, who wrote as follows: “Unter den Raubvögeln einiges Geier, Adler, Falken; aber nicht die Eulen—Am Vultur percnopterus ist sie ziemlich stark, ungefähr einen halb Zoll long zugespitzt und bräunlich vom Horne.” In fact, a claw on the first finger is of very common occurrence, and is found, according to the authorities given above, in the Accipitres, Herodiones, Palamedeæ, Anseres, Gallinæ, Fulicariæ, Alectorides, Limicolæ, Gaviæ, Pygopodes, Crypturi, and Struthiones.
Here it may not be out of place to add that a claw has also been found on the end of the second finger, by myself and Professor Morse, in certain of the Winter Birds, and perhaps in some embryo Hawks: and that as a rule the claws are much more conspicuous in young than in adult birds.—J. Amory Jeffries.
Papers on Minnesota Birds.[[32]]—Although the report containing these papers was not generally circulated in 1881, a copy reached us in December of that year. Dr. Hatch contributes a list of 281 species briefly annotated—usually with only a line or two to each species respecting the manner and character of its appearance in the State. In explanation of its cursory style the author states that, as we regret to learn, the original copy was destroyed by fire, “and it has been impossible to give its re-writing the measure of carefulness which the first manuscript received.” The most interesting entry is that of Querquedula cyanoptera, which thus appears far from its recognized range.
Mr. Roberts’ article treats much more fully of 52 species known to occur in the State in winter, divided into the categories of “permanent residents” (23), “winter visitants” (14), “half hardy” species (9), and “accidental” ones (6), the information given conveying a good idea of the bird-fauna at that season of the year. Doubtless owing to circumstances for which neither author is responsible, each paper bristles with typographical errors, few of which are corrected in the accompanying erratum slip. We understand that a full list will accompany the volumes as finally published.—E.C.
Freke on the Birds of Amelia County, Virginia.[[33]]—Our knowledge of the birds of Eastern Virginia is so largely inferential that Mr. Freke has done good service in publishing the results of six years’ observations in Amelia County, at a point “about thirty miles south of Richmond.” His list, which is freely annotated, includes 112 species. The Barn Swallow is catalogued as a spring and fall migrant; the Tree Sparrow (Spizella montana), as a rather uncommon winter visitor; the Field Sparrow, as resident but most common in winter; the Chipping Sparrow as arriving from the south late in March and as leaving during November; the Song Sparrow as wintering but not breeding; the Blue Grosbeak as not uncommon during the latter part of April and early in May, but, rather unaccountably, as not being found in summer; the Ruffed Grouse as plentiful in the mountains but not common in the low country, although a few regularly nest there in thick pine woods.
The author has evidently fallen into some confusion regarding the spotted-breasted Thrushes of the genus Turdus. Thus T. “pallasi” is characterized as a “resident species, apparently not migrating even in the most partial manner.” In view of our very definite knowledge of the Hermit’s distribution, such a statement by itself would be open to the gravest suspicion, but when we add that Mr. Freke does not mention the Wilson’s, Olive-backed, or Wood Thrushes as occurring at any season, it is quite plain that the Hermit (verus) did duty as the winter bird, the Olive-backed or Wilson’s Thrush filled the gap during the migrations, and the Wood Thrush was the species that “builds its clay-lined nest in the fork of some cedar or dogwood bush, at the height of eight or ten feet from the ground, and there lays its blue eggs.” The statement that Dendræca coronata “is one of the commonest warblers in the district, and spends [a] great part of the year there,” is not so easily explained: but despite the still more explicit assurance that “they come about the end of April, or the beginning of May, and remain until very late in the autumn,” we cannot help thinking that some mistake was made in the identification of the individuals seen in summer.
Save in the last-named instances, however, there is no reason to doubt that the author’s commendable practise of “verifying my observations, as far as possible, by securing specimens and preserving skins” was conscientiously carried out, and his paper will be read with interest, not only as an exponent of the ornithology of a previously unworked section, but also as embodying a foreigner’s pleasantly told impressions of many of our familiar birds.—W. B.
Langdon’s Field Notes on Louisiana Birds.[[34]]—These notes comprise “a record of ornithological observations and collections made by the writer during the month ending April 17th, 1881, at ‘Cinclaire’ plantation, situated in the parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the right bank of the Mississippi, one hundred and twenty-seven miles by river above New Orleans.”