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 i6o THE CONDOR I VoL. V NOTES ON THE BIRDS PECULIAR TO LAYSAN ISLAND, HAWAIIAN GROUP. By WALTER K. FISHER. From 'The Auk' XX, pp. 384-397, plates XII-XVI, Oct. 19o3. The author discusses the habits of the land birds of Laysan Island, and to some extent their relationships. This paper is an amplification of certain notes published in 'Birds of Laysan, etc.,' with the addition of several photographs not appearing in that paper. The reproductions are much better, and demonstrate the mistake made by the publishers of the 'Birds of Laysen' in at- tempting a cheap means of reproducing an exceptionally valuable set of pictures. It is indeed singular that such a small island as Laysan should possess three land birds be- sides a rail and a duck, all peculiar.--JoSEPH GRINNELL. BIRDS OF THE SISKIOU MOUNTAINS, CALIFORNIA: A PROBLEM IN DISTRBUTION. BY MALCOLM P. ANDERSON AND JOSEPH GRINNELL. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sciences, Philad., pp. 4-i5, Apr. 17, I9O3. The Siskiyou mountains in northern California are interestihg faunally because they are a wedge between the more or less 'arid' Sierras on the east and the excess ively moist coast belt on the west. The first portion of the paper concerns itself with the physiography of the region, and a list of the princi13al forest trees is given, all of which are characteristic Sierran forms. The only peculiar tree to this range, ]>iea b'ewerian, seems to have been overlooked. The Transition, Canadian, and HudsonJan Zones are represented. As would be expected ct p'io'i, the avifauna proves to be a mixture of the Hunlid Coast Fauna and the Arid Sierran, and the "list is a remarkable one as showing the association of a number of birds not unusually found together." Forty-three species are listed. k'i'eo httttoni ob$curus is found to be untenable. A LIST OF LAND BIRDS FROM CENTRAL VrASHINGTON. By ROBERT E. SNODGRASS. Fronl 'The Auk,' XX, pp. o-o9, April, I9O 3. During the summer of I9O Mr. Shodgrass conducted a biological collecting expedition to the interesting Grand Conlee country of Central Washington, and the ornithological results are em- bodied in the present paper. The Grand Conlee is the bed of an ancient and temporary short-cut for the Columbia river around the eastern face of the old glaciers which flowed southward and eastward from the mountains. It is a gorge fifty miles long, and from one to two miles wide cut down three hundred to five hundred feet into the basalt. The country in thisregion is for the most part very desolate, being given over to the cultivation of wheat, and "there is nothing left of Nature but the air and the dust of the road." Fifty-two species of land birds were listed, with brief annotations. ON THE TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES OF PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEw MEXICO AND WEST- ERN TExAs. By WITMER STONE and JAMES A. G. REHN. Proc. Aoad. Nat. Sci. Philad. pp. I6- 33, May 7, I9O3. Mr. Stone has given us a list of forty-one species of birds secured by Messrs. Rehn and Viereck in the Sacramento Mountain region of south central New Mexico, and the extreme western portion of Texas. Specimens of thirty-one of the species were taken, the other ten being admitted on field identification. The range of Spizel/a atrigularis is extended eastward by the capture of a specimen at Dry Canyon, Otero Co., N.M. DESCRIPTIONS OF NEw GENERA SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES oF AMERICAN BIRDS. By ROB- ERT RIDGWA. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XVI, io5-ii, Sept. 3 o, i9o3 - In this paper Mr. Ridgway publishes diagnoses of four new genera of swallows, and twenty new species and subspecies of North and Middle American birds. These new forms are included in Part III of "Birds of North and Middle America," "now mostly in print, the further printing .and publication of which has been postponed until after June, i9o4." Of interest to western bird students is BudytesJtavus alascensis from Western Alaska; anus ludovicianns mearnsi, from San Clemente Island, Cal., and Santa Margarita Island, Lower California; Bolophus tnornatus restrictus, "vicinity of San Francisco Bay, Cal."; Bolophus inornatus tourinns, Southern Cali- fornia and northern Lower California; ?saltriparus minimus saturatus, "vicinity of Puget Sound"; Chamafasciata rufula, "central coast district of California, in Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties." Part III of Mr. Ridgway's great work will contain much of especial value to Californians and we greatly regret the unlooked for delay in its appearance. The cause, needless to say, is due to circumstances over which the author has no control. THE NORTH AMERICAN FORMS OF ASTRAGALINUS P.ALTRIA (SAY), BY HARRY C. OBERHOL- sea. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington XVI, iI3-It6, Sept. 3 o, I9O3. Mr. Oberholser has briefly reviewed the North American forms of /tsD'ara/inus psallria of