Page:Condor16(4).djvu/31

July, 1914 PUBLICATIONS mains as held to by the A. O. U. Committee. But Ridgway remarks (foot-note, page 279) that "if S. nuchalis is to be considered as merely a sub-species of S. varius then, most certainly, must S. ruber also." He inclines to the belief that all three are distinct spe- cies, the occasional intermediates being viewed as hybrids, much as in the case of the flickers. While S. v. claggetti is synony- mized under S. ruber ruber, a foot-note (page 286) is indicative of Ridgway's gen- eral attitude of open-mindedness. He says: "Mr. Swarth [Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., x, 1912, page 35] seems to have made out a good case in favor of restriction,of the name ruber to the northern form instead of the southern one. Unfortunately it is now too late for me to reopen the question." "Western North America, east to and in- cluding Rocky Mountains; north to northern Alaska . . . ; south to western Mexico . . ." is the range assigned to the Western Belted Kingfisher, Streptoceryle alcyon caurina ( Grinnell ). The Frosted Poor-will of the A. O. U. Check-list is thr6wn out by Ridgway, who lists the appertaining references (to Phal- aenoptilus nuttalli niticlus) under P. n. nut- talli. Our Barn Owl becomes Tyro perlata pra- tincola, this name applying to the species clear across North America and south to Nicaragua. "I am unable to discover con- stant differences of coloration between spe- cimens from the eastern and western United States or between these and those from Mex- ico" (foot-note, page 606). Tyto perlata per- lata is South American. T. albus of Europe is considered specifically distinct (page 601). The supposed northwestern race of Saw- whet Owl, Nyctala acaclica scotaea Osgood, is suppressed, this name appearing in the sy nonymy of Cryptoglaux acaclica (page 633). Mr. Ridgway is unable "to make out any geographic variation in this species except a slight average difference in the hue of the brown of the upper and under parts, which is reddest in examples ?rom the Pacific coast district", more grayish brown in those from the Rocky Mountains, and intermediate in those from the Atlantic side. These differ- ences, as shown by present material, are not "sufficiently marked and constant to war- rant subspecific division". The Screech Owl of the Colorado Valley, named by Swarth Otus asio gilmani, is con- sidered (foot-note, page 702) inseparable from the longer known Otus asio cineraceus (Ridgway), which ranges through southern Arizona. A new subspecies is described (page '" "" '" -" REVIEWED 700), Otus asio brewsteri, from the coast region of Oregon. Of particular interest is Mr. Ridgway's conclusion, after adequate study of the case, that the Flammulated Screech Owl, Otus llammeolus (Kaup), presents absolutely no geographic variation. In other words no grounds whatever are found for recognizing a race Otus asio iclahoensis (Merriam), which name has been allotted prominent place in western literature for over twenty years. The Pigmy Owls along the Pacific coast are recognized as of three subspecies: Ctlau- ciclium gnoma calilornicum (Sclater), of the San Diegan district, the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades; Ct. g. grinnelli Ridgway (here newly named), of the humid coast belt from Monterey County to the mainland of British Columbia; and Ct. g. swarthi Grinnell, of Vancouver Island. The name vigilante, of Grinnell, becomes a synonym of californi- cure, owing to the discovery by Ridgway that Sclater's type, still extant in the Philadel- phia Academy, belongs to the interior and southern form. Mr. Ridgway finds that the Elf Owl pre- sents three geographic races: Micropallas whitneyi whitneyi (Cooper), of southeastern California, southern Arizona and southwest- ern New Mexico; M. w. sanforcli, of southern Lower California; and M. w. icloneus of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. The two latter forms are here newly describ- ed and named.--J. GRINNELL. A MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS CHORDEILES SWAINSON/ TYPE OF A NEW FAMILY OF GOAT- SUCKERS. By HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. [--Unit- ed States National Museum, Bull. 86, April 6, 1914, pp. i-viii, 1-123, 6 plates.] In this study of the nighthawks Mr. Ober- holser has many changes to suggest in the generally accepted treatment of the group; and his researches in the genus Chorcleiles have also incidentally resulted in important conclusions regarding certain others of the goatsuckers. The nighthawks, comprising the genus Chorcleiles, are purely American in their distribution, while two of the three recognized species are distributed over much of that portion of America covered by the A. 0. U. Check-List. They form an appar- ently well defined and circumscribed group of birds, and for various reasons afford an excellent subject for monographic treatment, there having been obvious necessity for such a sthdy. Of the difficulties attending the work, one of the greatest was the need of a prodigious amount of material, while from the nature of the birds the average collector