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 28 THE CONDOR Vol. XVII truth--of these conceptions. There are maps, of course, showing life zones and faunal areas, for use in connection with the text; and with this combination it would seem that even those most skeptical of the life zone concept, cannot but see the convenience and accuracy of this method of treatment. In fact, in such a state as California, with its wonderful diversity of surface and climate, it is difficult to see how any other phraseology could be at all satisfactory. Under conditions as uniform as those prevailing in many of the states east of the Rockies, where perhaps there may be but a single life zone represented, it is probably necessary to define ranges by political boundaries, but such a procedure in this state ,would be at best but clumsy and inaccurate. In this connection we would draw espe- cial ttention to the introductory chapter on "DistributiOnal Areas." Life zone ideas and phraseology have been used more and more by those qualified to handle such tools accurately, until they have come to permeate also the activities of many natur- alists with but superficial or erroneous con- ceptions of the real meanings of the expres- sions they use so freely. The reviewer has listened to many more or less informal talks as well as set lectures, to mixed audiences or regular classes, in which the speakers were but too evidently possessed of the haziest ideas as to the distinctions they sought to use. Life zones, of course, have long been clearly explained, and the theories upon which they rest elucidated and eglarged upon, by Dr. C. Hart Merriam; but certain distributional terms, such as "faunal areas", "regions", etc., used so fre- quently of late, and in rather different senses from those in which they are found in older literature on the subject, have proved sources of confusion to many. Dr. Grinne11's explanatory chapter is so clear an exposition of this complicated subject, at least as regards conditions on the Pacific Coast, and of the sense in which he uses the several terms, that it should certainly be carefully perused by all interested in the study. To the reviewer's notion it might well be inserted entire in any educational text-book treating of the subject of geo- graphical distribution. Of the three accom- panying plates, two, showing, respectively, the Life Zones and Fauna1 Areas of Cali- fornia, are indispensable to an understand- ing of the accompanying text. The third is also most interesting and illuminating, showing extent of Life Zones on four cross- sectional profiles across the state. The treatment of species is practically the same as in the author's previously pub- lished "Check-List of California Birds", though with far greater elaboration of de- tail The accepted current name of each species is preceded by a running number, and, in parenthesis, the A. O. U. Check- List number. A list of synonyms includes probably all scientific names applied to the species in literature pertaining to Califor- nia, and such English names as have been in general use. As these names are all in- eluded in the index, this is a feature 'of the publication that should be eminently use- ful to the local bird student. He can in a moment identify any bird name encountered in his reading. In the "status" there is abundant and most satisfactory citation of authorities, references mostly to literature, or to collections. The publication is, how- ever, by no means merely a compilation of already published facts, but conLains a vast amount of previously unpublished data. For much of this the field activities of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology are respon- sible, though other large local collections have also contributed. Of special interest are the citations from Belding's unpublished manuscript of the "Water Birds of the Paci- fic District." Five hundred and forty-one' species and subspecies are included in the main list, of which one hundred and sixty-eight are water birds. The "Hypothetical List" numbers sixty-one. The order, nd for the most part the general treatment, of the A. O. U. Check-List is followed, the most no- ticeable deviation from this standard lying in the rather liberal inclusion of slightly fined subspecies not admitted to the Check- List. Of the groups of birds largely rep- resented within the state, attention may be drawn to the eleven races of Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) here recognized, calcu- lated to bring deeper despair to the heart of the amateur (and to some who are not amateurs) than the even longer list of Cal- ifornia's song sparrows. Two species are added to the state list, the Wilson Petrel (Oceanires oceanicus), and the Oregon Chickadee (Penthstes atri- capiNus occiclentalis), on the basis of speci- mens in the collection of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Another species, the Sonoma Thrasher ( Toxostoma reivivum so- nomae) is here first given a name (page 155). We do not understand the reason for including this diagnosis in a work of such a nature, and do not consider it a desir- able Procedure. There are many reasons why it would seem best to have given this