Stone on Birds of the Canal Zone.—In ‘The Auk’ for 1913, pp. 422-429, there was published a list of North American birds observed in the Panama Canal Zone by Lindsey L. Jewel. Mr. Jewel died before he was able to prepare a report on the main portion of his collection. His birds later became the property of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and have been identified by Dr. Stone, who has reported upon them in the present paper.[42] In order to make the list of more general use he has added the names of all other species which had been reported from the Zone by previous writers. The list therefore includes 432 species of which 236 are represented in Mr. Jewel’s collection.
An introduction calls attention to the collections which had been made in the Zone in previous years, while the list proper contains numerous field notes on the various birds, taken from Mr. Jewel’s manuscript memoranda, including accounts of the nest and eggs of a number of species. The South American Swift Chætura chapmani Hellmayr, is recorded from the isthmus for the first time on the basis of two specimens secured at Gatun, July 9, 1911, while the capture of a specimen of Stelgidopteryx serripennis (Aud.) Gatun, December 18, 1910, would seem to extend its range somewhat to the southward.
Under the note on Reiffer’s Hummingbird, Dr. Stone presents reasons for reverting to the name Amazilia for this and other species recently called Amizilis and designates Ornismia cinnamomea Less, as the type of the former genus. Besides containing much original data the paper will be a convenient hand list for future students of Panama bird life.—S. T.
Shufeldt on the Young Hoatzin.—Dr. Shufeldt[43] has studied the skeleton and pterylosis of some young Hoatzins submitted to him by Mr. Robert C. Murphy. While his observations seem simply to confirm those of previous writers he has presented some good photographs of both the external appearance of the young bird and the skeleton and has compiled a useful bibliography of papers relating to this interesting species.—W. S.
Riley on Celebes Birds.—In studying a collection of Celebes birds obtained by Mr. H. C. Raven in the north peninsula and the mountains of the middle part of the Island, and presented to the National Museum by Dr. W. L. Abbott, Mr. Riley[44] found a number of new forms which are described in the present paper in advance of the complete catalogue of the collection.
A Thickhead apparently allied to Pachycephala is regarded as representing a new genus is described as Coracornis raveni (p. 157), while a Cuckoo Shrike related to Malindangia of the Philippines also becomes the type of a new genus and is named Celebesia abbotti (p. 158). The other new forms are, Caprimulgus affinis propinquus (p. 155); Collocalia vestita aenigma (p. 156); Rhamphococcyx centralis (p. 156); Lophozosterops striaticeps (p. 157); Cataponera abditiva (p. 158); and Cryptolopha nesophila (p. 158).—W. S.
Oberholser’s ‘Mutanda Ornithologica V.’—This[45] is the fifth of a series of papers which Dr. Oberholser has been issuing calling attention to necessary changes in the nomenclature of birds in various parts of the world. The species here treated are all Woodpeckers. Iyngipicus pygmæeus (Vig.) he shows must hereafter be known as Yungipicus mitchellii (Mahl.), the specific name being preoccupied and the generic name not following the original spelling. I. auritus (Eyton) becomes Y. moluccensis (Gmel.), the latter specific name being earlier. Dendropicos minutus (Temm.) is preoccupied and is renamed D. elachus (p. 8) while Campethera punctata (Valencien.) becomes C. punctuligera (Wagl.), for the same reason. Gecinus striolatus (Blyth) is in like case and becomes Picus xanthopygius (Bonap.), Gecinus giving way to Picus as explained by Hartert (Vögel Palaarkt. Fauna VII, p. 889).—W. S.
Miller’s ‘Birds of Lewiston-Auburn and Vicinity.’—Well prepared local lists have a very definite value and when they are prepared in a way to help the bird student their value is doubled. Such a list is Miss Miller’s well printed brochure on the birds of Lewiston-Auburn, Maine.[46] It consists of notes on 161 species which have been observed in recent times in the region covered, together with 40 additional species of water birds seen by others in the vicinity. Not only is the nature of the occurrence and relative abundance of each species in the main list given, but there are interesting accounts of their habits from personal observation and appropriate quotations from standard works and popular writings on nature, which make the text attractive and readable. Preliminary pages treat of the bird-life of the four seasons and there are some supplementary suggestions to bird students and a table of migrants in the order of their spring arrival. The dedication is to Prof. J. Y. Stanton at whose suggestion the list was prepared and who “was the author’s inspiration in all her bird study.” His death occurred while the work was in press and the addition of the portraits makes it in a measure a memorial to him. We might call attention to the fact that this excellent list does not contain a scientific name except in a reference to the origin of the domestic pigeon. The A. O. U. numbers are given in parentheses and the A. O. U. vernacular names are used with the addition of others when necessary. Thus is a matter that seems to trouble many bird students, easily disposed of! If the use of scientific names were limited to scientific publications there would be far less criticism of the changes in them. Miss Miller’s little book is an excellent model for a present day local list for the use of the amateur bird student who wishes a reliable and helpful hand book.—W. S.
Recent Papers by Bangs.—In ‘The Auk’ 1918, p. 441, Mr. Arthur T. Wayne states that on two occasions he saw Black-throated Green Warblers, in the maritime region of South Carolina, building a nest and carrying nesting materials during April. Mr. Bangs[47] now describes one of these April birds as a new subspecies and states that Mr. Wayne sent him a series of seven specimens all of which differed from northern birds in the same way—i. e., in duller coloration and smaller bill. The new form is named D. virens waynei (p. 94). In another paper[48] he discusses the species of the genus Paecilonitta as it is now to be spelled, following the original publication. He recognizes P. bahamensis bahamensis (Linn.), Florida to Brazil; P. b. rubrirostris (Vieill.), from southern South America; P. galapagensis Ridgw., Galapagos Isls.; P. spinicauda (Vieill.), southern South America; and P. erythrorhyncha (Gmel.), Madagascar and Africa.