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 Mar., 9o I THE CONDOR 53 LooMIS California Water Birds No. V.-- Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 3rd Ser. Zool. Vol. II, No. 5, PP. 349-363 Issued Dec. 24, x9oo. Mr. Loomis's fifth paper presents the "re- sults of a study of the water birds off Monterey from May x to June x2, x897." Like his prev- ious papers this one is carefully composed and the various topics are methodically arranged under suggestive headings. Under "General Observations" are enumerated the 35 species of water-birds observed, among which we note Larusfflaucus. The specimen, on which this record is based, does not show the characters of L. barrovianus, which is the form we would expect to find on this coast. We also note that our only record of Uria lornvia arra for Cali- fornia (CooPER, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., V. p. 4x4) is shown to have been based on an imma- ture specimen of the ordinary ?ria troi[e cali- fornica. Mr. Loomis sees no obvious reasons for rejecting the old record of Crearusfurcat- us off Monterey merely on account of the re- moteness of the nesting ground. As in his last paper the author does not recognize tri- nomials. The brief remarks on the "Cause of Return Migration" appear to be mainly in the nature of emphasis on ideas already stated in his former papers.--J. G. PROFESSOR COLLETT ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE CRANIU'M AND THE AURI'CULAR OPEN- INGS IN THE NORTH~EUROPEAN SPECIES OF THE FAMILY STRIGIDzt[. By R. W. S, hufeldt. M. D.. Reprint from Yorph., Vol. XVII. No. t., pp. tt9-t76: plates XV to XX, and numerous text figures. This paper is a "full and complete English translation" of Prof. Robert Collett's memoir entitled Craniets ok Oreaabningernes Bygning hos de nordeuropciske After a. Familien Stffidae, with footnotes and some general considerations by Dr. Shufeldt. Prof. Collett, in the first part of his work, divides the owls of northern Europe into six groups, "based upon the morphology of the cranium and upon the structure of the external ear-openings and their derreal apDendages." Ten species are consid- ered and all belong to the subfamily ubonince "(the other subfamily, which is represented by Xtricjqammea does not occur in Scandinavia)." The second part consists of careful descrip- tions of the morphology of the crania and ear openings of the ten species. In concluding the paper, Dr. Shufeldt gives "Opinions upon the Position of the Strigide in the System," presenting the views of Huxley, Newton, Max Fuerbringer, Hans Gadow, and H. L. Clark. He states his own opinion as follows: "Re- garding the owls as a whole, they may be con- sidered as forming a group of nocturnal birds of markedly raptorial habits. Some of the species, however, are largely diurnal in their ways. They are not especially related to the 4ccipitres, but are, on the other hand, remote- ly allied with the Caprimulgi. What we now know of the structure of such forms as Xlea- tornis and Podargus sufficiently indicates this much." The translation is well presented, and is illustrated by six lithographic plates (by Prof. Colleft) and seven text figures, redrawn by Dr. Shufeldt, from plates by Prof. Collett. --W.K.F. THE WILSON BULLETIN No. 33: A Sum- mer Reconnoissance in the West, by Lynds Jones and W. L. Dawson, Oberlin, Ohio, cov- ering observations during a 7oo0 mile trip over fourteen states, with notes anft observations made on the fly is a very readable paper if the observations are not taken too seriously. Mr. Jones says in his introductory remarks, "The only new feature introduced is the keeping of horizons for certain places or certain lengths of time aboard train or steamer, in the effort to more clearly illustrate what one might hope to find in retraversing this region." This idea of dividing the trip into bird hori- zons when speeding through the country on a railway flyer is commendable, but when the observations are confined to a small locality like the Pacific slope of Los Angeles Co., they partake of the nature of a local list and it is with such lists that we must make our compari- son in order to determine if the observations are accurate or of a more or less guesswork nature. To show how worthless such a list as that published by Mr. Jones might be to a stranger in the land, I will mention a few in- accuracies or cases of mistaken identification. We will overlook his discovery of magpies in the vicinity of San Bernardino for that was made from the train and of course subject al- ways to mental reservation; but when he enters the Pacific slope of Los Angeles County, the home of three-fourths of the members of the Southern Division of the Cooper Ornithological Club: a section more carefully and continuous- ly observed during the past ten years than any other part of California, and then publishes a list of birds observed which he commends for its accuracy, it is time to turn on the X ray. Both the California and the Pasadena Thrasher are noted although only one occurs here. Samuel's Song Sparrow has not been taken in the section mentioned. The Black-tailed Gnatcatcher although it occurs plentifully thirty miles east and half that distance west has not been taken here, in spite of the fact that for years all our resident members have been looking keenly for it. Only one specimen of The Prairie Falcon has been taken in ten years, although it oeenrs east and west of us. The Green-tailed Towhee, Brew- er's Sparrow and Calliope Hummingbird are rare stragglers in the valley during the migra- tion but at the time Mr. Jones visited this vi-