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 May, 1909 PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 107 of Calif. Pub., Zool., V, pp. 171-264: Feb. 18, 1909. As the first published result of the work of the new University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, under the patronage of Miss Annie M. Alexander, this paper is of special interest. The list of birds is by Joseph Grinnell, who has incorporated, with his own critical notes, the field observations of the col- lectors, Joseph Dixon, Chase Littlejohn and Frank Stephens. Edmund Heller treats of the mammals and Dixon and Stephens describe the localities visited. The usefulness of the report. is further enhanced by a map and sev- eral half4one illustrations from photographs by Miss Alexander. The localities covered in- clude Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof islands, Glacier Bay, and several other main- land points, all in the heart of the fannal dis- trict known as Sitkan. This interesting region has been explored zoologically but little, although it is in the most accessible part of Alaska and from its position and climatic peculiarities exceedingly attractive. Ninety-nine species and subspecies of birds are annotated, eighty-one represented in the collection of 532 specimens, and six character- ized as new, as follows: Lagopus alexandrae, Lagopus dixoni, Buteo borealis alascensis, Picoides americanus furnipeclus, Lovcia curvi- rostra silkensis, and Planes&us rnigratorius caurinus. It is donbtful, in these latter days, if a similar expedition to any other part of extra-tropical America could have secured so many ornithological novelties so well charac- terized as these appear to be. The field observations relate principally to abundance, food and nesting, and descriptions of the eggs of a number of species are given. The Kittlitz mnrrelet was found in great abun- dance in Glacier Bay. The golden-crowned sparrow, curiously, was not observed as a breeder, although it certainly is such at White Pags and at Yakutat in the same general re- gion. The gadwall is recorded for the' first time from Alaska, but unfortunately in com- mon with records of several other species this is only "according to Littlejohn's notebook," as specimens were not scented. The cormor- ant of the region is referred o Phalacrocoravc pelagicus, the supl%sed subspecies robustus being discredited. The dnck hawk, likewise, is referred to Falcop. analurn, the specimens secured failing to exhibit the characters of pealei. A small series of savanna sparrows is consigned to Passerculus s. savanna, which therefore is regarded as having an interrupted range. The qnestionable subspecies Dendroica c. hooveri and liftundo e. palrneri are recog- nized and the names ]relospiza I. gracilis and Sphyrapicus tuber are used for the northwest coast forms of the Lincoln finch and the red- breasted sapsncker respectively. The treat- merit of subspecific forms and nomenclatorial questions is rather noticeably at issue with decisions of the A. O. U. Committee on No- menclature and Classification. This could not possibly be open to objection if sufficient evi- dence were presented to make it at all likely that the Committee would regard the cases as sub- ject to reconsideration. The reviewer is in- clined to the belief that several of these points in this paper are well taken but ventures to suggest that if authors would cahnly accept defeat in preliminary skirmishes and bide their time until accumulatien of evidence made it possible for them to return in a verita- ble onslaught, there might be at least uni- formity during the interim and we would be spared dribbling protests.--WILiRED H. OSGOOD. MINUTES OF COOPER CLUB MEETINGS NORTHERN DIVISION JANUAR.--A called meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Club was held in the parlors of the Hotel Merritt, Oakland, on the evening of January 20, with nine members present and Mr. Ernest Mailliard as a visitor. The minutes of the previous meeting were read, and approved as read. Applications for membership'were presented as follows: John Rowley, Palo Alto, Cal., by J. Grinnell; H. H. Kimball, Fresno, Cal., by W. Lee Chambers; Jesse T. Craven, Detroit, Mich., by W. Lee Chambers; Walter B. Bar- rows, East Lansing, Mich., by W. Lee Cham- bers; R. A. Bennett, San Francisco, Cal., by W. Lee Chambers; L. J. 1tersey, Denver, Colo., by W. Lee Chambers; J. Warren Jacobs, Waynesbnrg, Pa., by J. E. Law. Mr. Grinnell stated that he had received a letter from Dr. Palmer in which it was an- nounced that the Island of Laysan had been set aside by the Government as a Federal Reserve. A statement from Mr. Hnnter showing the 'receipts and disbursements during his tern of office was read and the Secretary was instructed to write Mr. Hunter thanking him for a very liberal donation made by him to the Club. The resignations of C. F. Palmer and H. O. Jenkins were read and on motion accepted. The resignation of Miss J. Newsom was read, but as the Treasurer reported that there were some back dues unpaid the resignation was laid over and the Secretary instructed to write. The report of the Executive Committee, and also a copy of the proposed new constitution, were read. The latter did not meet with the approval of the members present and was refer, red back to the Committee with instruc- tions to confer with a like committee from the Southern Division.