undescribed forms. The most interesting of these new birds are Kakatoe parvulus abbotti, which marks a new western limit for the genus; Perissolalage chalepa, a new genus and species of Campephagidae, related to Lalage Boie; a drongo, Dicruropsis pectoralis solombensis; and an apparently distinct species of white-eye, Zosterops solombensis, allied to Zosterops flava of Java.

Only three species were obtained on Arends Island, November 23 to 24, 1908, but one of these, Megapodius duperryii gouldii, is worthy of particular note as extending the western limit of the known range of this species.

On the island of Mata Siri Dr. Abbott collected from November 7 to 12, 1907, and from November 25 to December 1, 1908, gathering on these occasions altogether 13 specimens of birds of eight species, five of these representing new subspecies. The most important of the new birds are a bulbul, Pycnonotus brunneus zaphaeus, apparently most closely allied to Pycnonotus brunneus brunneus from the Malay Peninsula; Malacocincla abbotti sirensis, allied to Malacocincla abbotti olivacea from the Malay Peninsula; and a drongo, Dicruropsis pectoralis sirensis, apparently nearest Dicruropsis pectoralis solombensis Oberholser from Solombo Besar Island.

On Pulo Kalambau, which is one of the three largest islands of the Laurot group, Dr. Abbott landed for a day on December 7, 1907. Here he collected two birds, one of them a new subspecies of white-eye (Zosterops solombensis zachlora).

From these incomplete collections the faunal relations of Solombo Besar Island seem to be with Java and Timor; and of Mata Siri with Borneo. H. C. O.

ORNITHOLOGY.-The shedding of the stomach lining by birds, particularly as exemplified by the Anatidae. W. L. MCATEE. The Auk 34: 415-421, pls. 16-17. 1917.

The shedding of the stomach lining and its disposal by regurgitation, in hornbills and a number of other birds, is well known. It is now shown that this operation takes place commonly in many species of birds, but that the process is usually one of gradual disintegration and mixing with the food contents of the stomach. In this way the discarded lining is ground up with the other food by the rotary movement of the gizzard contents, and passed out of the body through the intestines. This process has been observed in 24 species of ducks and

geese and in the following other birds: Thalasseus maximus, Himantopus mexicanus, Limnodromus griseus scolopaceus, Colinus virginianus texanus, Cerchneis sparveria sparveria, Coccyzus americanus americanus, Coccyzus erythropthalmus, Pica pica hudsonia, Corvus ossifragus, Sturnella magna argutula, Toxostoma redivivum sonomae, Mimus polyglottos polyglottos, and Hylocichla guttata subsp.

HARRY C. OBERHOLSER.

ORNITHOLOGY.-Notes on North American birds. IV. HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. The Auk 35: 62-65.

1918.

Recent investigations show that Pelacanus californicus Ridgway is a subspecies of Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, and should, therefore, stand as Pelecanus occidentalis californicus Ridgway. Similarly, Creciscus coturniculus (Ridgway) is undoubtedly a subspecies of Crecis-· cus jamaicensis and should be called Creciscus jamaicensis coturniculus (Ridgway). Tringa maculata (Vieillot), has been said to be preoccupied by Tringa maculata Linnaeus, and for the species called Pisobia maculata the name Tringa pectoralis Say has been resurrected. There is, however, no Tringa maculata Linnaeus, as this is a misquotation for Tringa macularia. Our pectoral sandpiper must, therefore, retain its present designation of Pisobia maculata (Vieillot). The form of Agelaius phoeniceus breeding in the central northern United States and middle Canada was some time ago described as Agelaius phoeniceus arctolegus Oberholser, but has not been considered separable from Agelaius phoeniceus fortis. Additional material shows it, however, to be a recognizable race. H. C. O.

ORNITHOLOGY.-The birds of Desecheo Island, Porto Rico. ALEXANDER WETMORE. The Auk 35: 333-340. 1918.

Desecheo Island lies in Mona Passage west of Porto Rico, and is about one and one-fourth miles long by three-quarters broad. It is a rocky island rising to a peak six hundred feet high, and is covered by jungle or brush. The avifauna is limited to eleven species, only three of which are land birds. Only one passerine bird, Margarops fuscatus fuscatus, has been found on the island.

HARRY C. OBERHOLSER.

ORNITHOLOGY.-Third annual list of proposed changes in the A. O. U. Check-List of North American birds. HARRY C. Oberholser. The Auk 35: 200-217.

1918.

This is the third annual résumé of recent ornithological work in so far as it affects North American birds. Like the first and second lists it comprises only ornithological cases,-i.e., such as require specimens or the identification of descriptions for their determination, and consists of additions, eliminations, rejections, and changes of names due to various causes. However, only changes known to be based on revisionary work are included; therefore no mention is made of changes involved in names used without sufficient explanation in local lists or elsewhere. It is intended to include here everything pertinent up to December 31, 1917, not previously chronicled. Some of these changes date back as far as 1910, but were previously overlooked. The present list summarizes the addition of twenty-three genera either new or raised from subgenera; four subgenera; six species detected for the first time in North America, three of these from Greenland; and forty-nine subspecies either newly described or for the first time found in North America. Besides these there are six new subfamilies. H. C. O.

ORNITHOLOGY.-New light on the status of Empidonax traillii (Audubon). HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. Ohio Journ. Sci. 18: 85-98. February, 1918.

Few birds are as puzzling as the flycatchers of the American genus Empidonax. None of these are more difficult to understand than Empidonax traillii and its closely related forms, the status of which has long been in dispute. At present the name Empidonax traillii traillii is applied to the subspecies from the western United States, and that from Manitoba and the eastern United States is called Empidonax traillii alnorum. A reexamination of the type of Empidonax traillii now shows that it belongs to the eastern race; and this should, therefore, henceforth stand as Empidonax traillii traillii. This race breeds in most of the wooded parts of Canada and Alaska, in the northeastern United States, west to Montana, and south to Maryland, while it winters southward to Ecuador. The subspecies inhabiting the western United States south to Mexico is renamed Empidonax traillii brewsteri. An interesting development of the present study is the discovery of the existence of six more or less well-marked color phases in both of the subspecies. H. C. O.

ENGINEERING.-Tests of large bridge columns. J. H. GRIFFITH and J. G. BRAGG. Bur. Stand. Tech. Paper No. 101. Pp. 139. 1918.

Tests were made upon eighteen large bridge columns which were half-size models of chord sections of railroad bridges recently erected at St. Louis, Mo., Metropolis, Ill., and Memphis, Tenn. The specimens were constructed of nickel, Mayari, chrome, silicon, and high carbon steels. They varied in length from 15 feet to 24 feet, and in cross-sectional areas from 42 to 119 square inches. The slenderness ratios varied from 15 to 44. The columns were of modern design and were constructed in accordance with approved methods of shop practice and were tested in the 10,000,000 Olsen compression machine of the Bureau at Pittsburgh.

The strengths of the columns varied from a minimum of 31,200 pounds per square inch for the carbon steel to a maximum of 657,000 pounds per square inch for the Mayari steel members, the intermediate. values corresponding to the grades of steel used in the construction of the columns. The strengths for twelve columns failing as units were approximately defined by the yield points of the individual steels used in the construction, being confined within a zone determined by the upper and lower limits obtained by independent tests of the component steels. The mean deviation was found to be 0.5 per cent from the mean-yield points determined for the columns at failure, the range of variation being from four to twelve per cent. Of the remaining six columns four failed by local bending at the ends and two by body failures due apparently to the unsymmetrical action of lattice bars.

A full discussion is given of the effects of initial eccentricity, the laws of stress distribution from bending of columns, and the laws of distributions in pin plates and lattice. The analyses were conducted from the point of view of the column formula used in design and the more rational formula based on initial eccentricity in a column.

J. H. G.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY AND AFFILIATED

SOCIETIES

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

The 315th meeting of the Society was held on Wednesday, October 2, 1918, in the hall of the Perpetual Building Association at 1101 E Street N. W. There were present 18 members and 4 visitors.

The editor announced the appearance of the long delayed volume 19, of the Society's Proceedings.

Dr. G. F. WHITE and Mr. R. A. St. GEORGE, both of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology, were elected to membership in the Society. The program was as follows:

W. M. MANN: Collecting in Fiji. Owing to the illness of Dr. MANN this paper was read by title.

R. A. CUSHMAN: Cocoon spinning habit of two species of Braconids. This paper, which dealt with the author's observations of the cocoon spinning of two common species, was discussed by Messrs. SCHWARZ, RоHWER, and ABBOTT,

A. B. GAHAN: A synopsis of the species belonging to the chalcidoid genus Rileya Ashmead. In the absence of the author this paper was presented by the secretary. It dealt almost entirely with a systematic treatment of the genus Rileya, including all of the known species of the world. The paper was discussed by Messrs. SCHWARZ and ROHWER.

C. N. AINSLIE: Notes on the economic importance of Samia Cecropia. This paper was read by Mr. ROHWER and discussed by Messrs. ABBOTT and CUSHMAN.

A. B. GAHAN, Recording Secretary.