considered, L. tephrocotis is the next most Southern, is the next in size, (at least is not larger than var. littoralis,) and has the least ash on the head." The first point is reasoned from the fact that Mr. Aiken found littoralis far less numerous in Colorado than typical tephrocotis, and therefore supposed that it must be a more Northern bird, not migrating so far South in winter. [See Mr. Aiken's remarks, copied by Mr. Allen in foot note, on page 248.] The comparative rarity of this form in Colorado is not to be thus accounted for, however, but is due to the fact of its being a more Western bird, only stragglers to the eastward of its main range, mixing and associating with the main body of tephrocotis. In the same manner tephrocotis, itself, becomes rare westward, where, through the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada, the main body of littoralis migrates southward. The differences, then, between these two races, if depending solely on climatic considerations, are governed by the longitude and not the latitude, of their breeding habitat. 7 As to tephrocotis being "next in size (at least is not larger than var. littoralis,)" Mr. Allen's own computations show that is the larger of the two, except as regards the length of the tail. 8

Admitting that tephrocotis" has the least ash on the head," how can this fact be attributed to climatological influences when littoralis, as stated, is not more Northern in its distribution, and when griseinucha, the most Northern of all the forms, has less gray on the head than

fornia. On the same page we are astounded by the inforformation that C. santa cruzi and C. elegans are “ the Southern forms of C. flavi ventris !"

In the "Ornithological Reconnoissance" [Bull. Muss, Comp. Zoology, Cambridge, III, No. 6, July 1872,] it is stated, on page 115, that "passing to the plains, proper, the faded aspect of all the birds is strikingly noticable, especially in species that range across the Continent." As an illustration, several very proper examples are mentioned; but with them are included the “Cassini" type of Percia æstivalis," the fact ofthe case being that Peucea cassini is a very distinct species, possessing well defin ed characters which should distinguish it at a glance from P. æstivalis, which has, in the same region, a Western race. The theory of certain climatic variations in the genus Pipilo, is expressed (page 117,) in the following terms: In Mexico, P. megalonyx is well known to grade through P. mareronyx into P. maculatus." We are not aware that this fact was "well known" to any onebut Mr. Allen, and he will probably now acknowledge himself mistaken so far as P. mareronyx is concerned.

6 My own measurements of these two forms being from 203 dried specimens, should, as a matter of fairness, be taken for comparison; they indicate a still greater difference in average length of wing in favor of australis, the wing of the latter averaging .08 more; the difference in the length of the tail, however, is somewhat reduced, the discrepancy amounting to only .12.

littoralis?" Neither can I admit that the darker colors of griseinucha "simply correlate with those of the generality of the varietal forms of birds and mammals inhabiting the same region, remarkable for its immense annual rain-fall and great humidity of climate," for the simple reason that the amount of rain-fall in the Sitkan district is probably as great, if not greater, than that of the Pribylov Islands and coast of the neighboring mainland. Hence it will appear that I did not "for the moment forget" any fact in this connection, while at the same time it is also evident that the darker colors of griseinucha are not so easily explainable on climatic grounds.”

In conclusion I beg leave to state that of the five well-marked forms of this genus now known in North America, only two, tephrocotis and littoralis, have been proven to integrade, while the immense series examined, independent of extensive additional material since received, was sufficient to indicate such a tendency if it existed. On the contrary, each one is defined by perfectly trenchant and stable characters, such as would constitute a "species," in a properly restricted sense. I accordingly have no hesitation in asserting that the distinct North American species of the genus Leucosticte, Swainson, so far as known, stand as follows:

1. L. griseinucha, (Brandt.)-Aleutian Islands and coast of Alaska, from Norton Sound to Kadiak.

2. L. tephrocotis Swains.-Western Mountain regions of North America, north of 38° (breeding north of 49°.) with the following "geographical races:" Typical tephrocotis :

7 In the paragraph, above quoted, it is stated that "this form [littoralis] has not yet been taken on the southern part of the North Pacific coast,' unless Alaska can be so considered." The words in quotation marks thus leave the reader to infer that a statement of mine is referred to, but upon turning to my monograph I find nowhere such words, or similar expression. In the paragraph above the onc to which I refer I am also misquoted, as follows: "The fact that littoralis has more gray on the head than tephrocotis cannot be explained by stating that the former is more Northern in its distribution, for such is not the case, since the breeding grounds [ground] of var. tephrocotis are [is] quite as far northward in the interior as those [that] of var. littoralis is on the coast." The words supplied in brackets being those used by me instead of those which substitute them in the quotation,

8 A careful computation of the average of the measurements, given by Mr. Allen, (77 specimens of littoralis and 17 of tephrocotis,) indicates an average difference in the length of the wing of .03 of an inch in favor of tephrocotis, and in the length of the tail of .06 in favor of littoralis. My own measurements, however, of 154 specimens of tephrocotis and 47 of littoralis decide both these measurements in favor of tephrocotis, the excess being .08 for the wing and .07 for the tail!

The central mountain ranges and plateaus; straggling sparingly westward in winter. Subspecies littoralis, Baird: The coast ranges, straggling sparingly eastward in winter.

3. L. atrata, Ridgway.-Rocky mountains of Colorado, in May, (not yet known from anywhere else.) [Possibly, but not probably, a melanism of L. tephrocotis.]

4. L. australis, (Allen.)-Rocky Mountains of Colorado, (Spring, Summer and Autumn,) and southward, (Southern

limit unknown.)

I am aware that this view is not in accordance with that of Mr. Allen, who has even gone so far as to state his suspicion that "some of the differences whereon certain species of Leucosticte have been founded may be only individual variations,"-the remark "having reference to a series of mounted specimens in the Museum of the Boston Society of Natural History, collected at Central City, Colorado, by Mr. F. E. Everett." These were evidently, judging from Mr. Allen's descriptions, (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoology, III, July, 1872, p. 163,) specimens of L. australis and L. tephrocotis littoralis, and so I stated. in a foot-note to the quotation of his remarks, (Bull. Geol. Survey Ter. No, 2, p. 55.) It seems to have surprised Mr. Allen, however, that I should have thus "without having seen them, assign[s] them, with great positiveness, to his [my] different species and varieties of Leucosticte." This rashness, however, was prompted merely by the unmistakable characters given by Mr. Allen, which enabled me to thus identify, "with great positiveness," two very distinct species, in the specimens which he considered to represent individual phases in a single form.

ROBERT RIDGWAY.

Field Notes in New England.

The intense heat of July made its mark very plainly in the diminished quantity and increased temperature of the water in the mountain springs.

Ascending Mt. Lafayette by the old path, July, 13th we found many springs dry, and in the two or three remaining, the water with

a temperature of 60° to 65°. Going down by the new path more on the northern slope, we noticed two springs with a temperature of 50° to 55°, but the mountains seemed to have been thoroughly heated, at least superficially, so that all the superfical waters were warm. One spring was noticed coming out of sandy soil by the woodside, at the lower end of Franconia notch, the temperature of which was 45°, but this was evidently deep-seated.

Walking along the sandy sea-beach near Kennebunkport, Me. I noticed a plant of unfamiliar aspect, striped of its foliage, but with peculiar fruit. A closer examination showed the destructive agent to be the Colorado potato-bug, which was found in all stages. This of course located the plant among the Solanaceae, and on reference to Gray's manual, determined it to be Hyoscyamus niger, L. And here this waif on the ocean shore, half a mile from any cultivated field had been detected and appropriated by decemlineata.

In this vicinity the flora is characteristic but not abundant in species. Juniperus communis, L., forms large spreading clumps in pastures rapidly encroaching upon the grass land.

On the borders of swamps are thickets of Myrica cerifera and M. gale, Comptonia asplenifolia, Vaccinium corymbosum, V. Canadense, V. vaccillans and Gaylussacia resinosa, these latter furnishing abundant supplies of "blueberries" and "huckleberries" as they are called in the vernacular. Sphagnous swamps abound with Habenaria psycodes, H. fimbriata, Calopogon pulchellus, Arethusa bulbosa, and other orchids scattered through them.

Another group of plants is found in the pure dry sand such as Salsola kali, Euphorbia polygonifolia, Calamagrostis arenaria, Cakile americana, Prunus maritma, Artemisia caudata, Atriplex patula L., var. hastata.

Around the salt marshes occur Spergularia salina, Tresl., Suaeda maritima, Dum., Salicornia herbacea, L., Ruppia maritima, Glyceria Canadensis, G. distans, G. maritima, Hordeum jubatum, Spartina polystachya, S. juncea, S. stricta Glaux maritima, Carex (Ederi, C. folliculata, C. norvegica, C. maritima, Archangelica Gmelini, Statice Limonium, L., var. Caroliniana. Quite a number of other maritime species occur here, but these may suffice to give an idea of the chaacteristic flora of the region.

J. W. CHICKERING. Jr.

FLORA COLUMBIANA.

Continued from page 33, Vol. II.

A CATALOGUE of the plants growing without cultivation in the Dis