RECENT LITERATURE Edited by Edward H

RECENT LITERATURE Edited by Edward H. Burtt, Jr.

NEW JOURNAL 1, Centzontle. Published quarterly by the Sociedad Mexicana de Ornithologia (Apartado Postal 70-300, Mexico 20, D. F. Mexico). First issuedin 1977.--This mimeo- graphed newsletter provides members with timely notices,particularly for ornithological meetings. Considerable attention is given to the papers and businessof the most recent (1976 and 1977) National (Mexican) Symposiaof Ornithology. Noticesfurther include information on internationalornithological events, meetings of Mexican zoologicalsoci- eries, and the establishment of new wildlife sanctuaries in Mexico. A few brief papersalso appear in the 10 to 20-pageissues. For example,the first year included an introduction to arian taxidermy methods and a review of the avifauna in the Palmar (palm habilat) zone of coastalVeracruz. The newsletterwill be of interestto both Mexican ornithologistsand those interested in that country's ornithological affairs.-- Charles F. Leek.

BANDING AND LONGEVITY

(See also 15, 21, 23, 24) 2. Bird-banding at Powdermill, 1977. R. C. Lebermau aud M. H. Cleuch. 1978. CarnegieMu,•. Nat. Hist., P. N. R. Res.Rep. 38: 1-21.--As the title iudicates,this is au auuual report of a bird-baudiug facility, the Powdermill Nattire Reserve,operated by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. In 1977, 8,549 birds of 115 specieswere banded and 2,340 additional birds were processed(either repeatsor returns) for a total number of 10,889 birds handled. In its 17 consecutiveyears the program at Powdermillhas banded 150,448 birds of 160 species.The numbers of different speciesbanded are tabulated as are minimum estimates of longevity for four nonpasserine and 34 passerine species. Among these were 11 new records for the reserve and three for the speciesas a whole (Swainsoh'sThrush (Catharusustulata) 6 - 4 (six years, four months), Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroicacaerulescens) 3 - 11, and American Redstart (Setophagaruticilla) 6 - 2). There are 12 recoveries,invoMng reservebandings ov trappings. Seasonaland long term fluctuationsamong banded speciesare discussedfor the Ligonier Valley'(Westmoreland Co., PA) as well as the reserve proper. Beginning in 1977, record keeping was done via an electronicdata processingsystem and the conversionof earlier records to the same systemwas begun. In addition to in-housenews, this report containsworthwhile ornithological information and a good indication of the researchbeing done at Powdermill.- Richard J. Clark. 3. Hawk Cliff Raptor Banding Station sixth annual report 1976. M. Field and W. Rayher. 1978. Ont. Bird Banding,12(1): 1-27.--This report summarizesbandings accom- plished at the raptor trapping facility operated annually since 1969 at Hawk Cliff (Elgin Co., Ontario, Canada).The f'acilitvis alsoa part of' an American Kestrel(Falco sparverius) nest box survey.There were 3,080 indMduals of 13 speciesbanded. Grand totals for the eight yearsof operationwere 13,296 indMduals of 23 species.Tabulated information for 1976, by species,includes annual totals for all years, •nonthly bandingsfbr the total operation (i.e., includesroadtraps and nestlingsas well as those banded at the station), methodsof capture, speciesnumbers observed daily' and a comparisonof raptors caught with variouslure ani•nals.Inter-station banding totalsand a co•nparisonof speciesby age (HY versusAHY) and stationfor the trapping restiltsare provided for the 1975 and 1976 seasons.Finally, the A•nerican Kestrel nest box resultsand a summary of recoveriesand retraps of kestrelsbanded at Hawk Cliff for the year 1976 are provided. This report, as are •nany annual reports, is short on analysisof data. For example, the authors point out that the decline in the number of raptors banded wasdue to fe• er operating hours and bad weather in December. Their data show a 28.9% decreasein bandingswith the stationsbeing operated 16.8% fex•er hours spread over 11.2ff• more days. Birds banded per hours of effort averaged2.95 in 1975, but 2.52 in 1976 (a 14.6%

167 168] RetentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

declinein efficiency).This wasall calculatedby the reviewerfrom the authors'data. They record numbersof raptors observedon a daily basis,but no attempt is made to compare numbers observedversus numbers trapped. A table making the above comparison•'as compiled by the reviewer.

Percent of raptors (trapped versusob.•erved) banded at Hawk Cliff in 1975.

Species Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Sharp-shinnedHawk (Acdpiter•trzatu.•) 13.5 8.6 18.9 Cooper'sHawk (A. cooperil) 18.3 19.6 19.2 Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo]'amaicensi. s) 4.2 3.5 5.8 15.0 Red-shouldered Hawk (B. linearm) 60.0 Marsh Hawk (Circuscyaneus) 5.1 2.7 2.7 11.1 American Kestrel (Falco.•pa•,eriu• ) 9.3 I 1.4 2.7

Suchanalysis has someshortcomings, but is of value in pointing out trends in trapability, e.g., the Cooper'sHawk is consistentlytrapable whereas the Sharp-shinned,Red-tailed and Marsh hawks becomemore trapable as the migration seasonlengthens. With the AmericanKestrel perhaps it is trapablemigrants versus wary residents yielding the results? The number of raptorsof eachspecies caught on different lure "birds"(mousse is listed as a lure bird) does not allow one to assessthe effectiveness of the various lure animals, for no indication of the numbers and their exposure times are listed for each lure, e.g., starling-hours,sparrow-hours, etc. Similarly no data are provided in the raptor species versusmethod of capture table. Such information • ould be useful. Little attempt is made to analyzethe resultsof the American Kestrel nest box survey. By calculatingthe percent of boxes with either young and/or eggsin them (43c/c),they could have comparedtheir resultswith Hamerstrom,Hamerstrom and Hart, q. Wildl. Manage., 37: 400-403) who reported 30c• for the most successfulof their five years. Similarly 38.9% of the boxesyielding fledged young comparesmost •hvorablywith 30• in the Wisconsinstudy. In summary,authors of suchreports could, by analyzingtheir data, contributemuch more to ornithologicalliterature and continuallyevaluate their operation for greater ef- ficiencyand scientificeffectiveness.--Richard J. Clark. 4. Two successfulnestings of Tengmalm's Owl in one summer. (Hemipollo pesinyt kahdesti samana kesana.) E. Kellomaki, E. Heinonen, and H. Tiainen. 1977. Or,ds Fenn., 54(3): 134-135.--(In Finnish with English summary.)--A female Tengmalm's Owl (Ae- goliusfunereus) banded as a nestlingin 1967 was recoveredtwo years later at a nest in Virrat central Finland, about 35 km from her birthplace.Her five young, found 5 May, were banded, and fledged about 28 May. Later in the same summer she nested 10 km from the first nest. "As the first chick of the secondbrood hatched on 30 June the female must have abandonedits first brood in May before the young fledged (incubationof the first egg takesabout 30 days)."The four young and one unhatchedegg (of secondbrood) were checkedon 8 July. Here is a fine example of information derived •¾ombanded birds. Because1969 was a peak year for voles,it was also favorable for enhancedowl nesting.--Leon Kelso.

MIGRATION, ORIENTATION, AND HOMING (See also 21, 24, 73, 77) 5. Postnesting movements of the Common Starling. (Poslegnezdovyekochevki obyknovennogoskvortsa, Sturnus vulgaris) L. D. Nankinov. 1978. Acta Ornithol.,16(11): 309-313. (In Russian,with Polishand Englishsummaries.)--Although little different from Starlingmovements elsewhere in the expandingrange of the species,one may reflectthat these movements were recorded within the Arctic Circle. Observations in 1966-1970 at Vol.s0, No. •2 RecentLiterature [ 169 the BiologicalStation of LeningradUniversity showed three typesof postnestingnomadic movements:late summer movementsof flocksof siblingsfrom individual broods,later summer movementsof flocksof varied age components,and local autumnal foraging flock movementsas adultsand juvenilespartly migrateto the south.These are followed by localnomadic movements that are continueduntil a permanentsnow cover is formed. The author suggeststhat during nomadicmovements adult birdstransfer their individual experienceto the young.Food is a dominantobjective in muchof the localnomadism.- Leon Kelso.

6. An apparent lunar rhythm in the day-to-dayvariations in initial bearingsof homing pigeons.T. Larkin and W. T. Keeton. 1978. In "Animal Migration,Navigation, and Homing,"K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton,eds., p. 92-106. Heidelberg,Spring- er-Verlag.--In August1977, a symposiumon animalmigration and orientationwas held on the occasionof the 500th anniversaryof the University of Tfibingen. A number of importantpapers based on studiesof birdswere presented.I reviewa selectionof those that presentedsignificant new data. In earlier work, Keeton'sgroup has shownthat natural fluctuationsin the earth's magneticfield accountfor someof the day-to-dayvariability in the initial orientationof homing pigeons.In other species(e.g., honeybees),magnetic influences on orientation often seemrelated to simultaneousresponses to gravity.Larkin and Keetonsearched for possibleinfluences of changesin gravityon pigeonorientation by examiningday-to-day variationsin the meanvanishing bearings of pigeonsreleased at a singlesite as a function of day of the lunar month. In six seriesof releasesin four different years,the mean vanishingbearings of the pigeonsat a givensite varied linearly with day of lunar month, changingas much as 0.75 degreeper day.However, in someseries the changesin bearings cycledwith the day of the lunar month beginningat new moon whereasin othersthey cycledbeginning with full moon.Thus the relationshipappeared to be stablein one of two stateswith oppositephase. Because the effect is a minor perturbation,the interpretation of thesedata must be consideredpreliminary since no direct relationshipto any gravitationalvariable could be found and the possibleinvolvement of natural magnetic fluctuationsis unclearand problematical.Perhaps an analysisof data from birds carrying magnetswould shedsome light on theseproblems.--Kenneth P. Able.

7. Inversion of the magneticfield during transport:its influenceon the homing behavior of pigeons.J. Kiepenheuer.1978. In "Animal Migration, Navigation,and Hom- ing," K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton, eds., p. 135-142. Heidelberg, Springer-Ver- lag.--Effect of outwardjourney in an altered magneticfield on the orientation of young homing pigeons.R. Wiltschko,W. Wiltschko,and W. T. Keeton. 1978. P. 152-161, ibid.-- A new techniquefor exploring the use of magneticinformation by homing pigeonsis to transport the birds to the releasesite in an altered magneticfield. Experimentsof this sort could shed light on the way in which magnetic information is used and whether magneticcues are involvedin navigationbeyond their presumedrole asa compass.These papersreport on the first experimentsperformed and they provide no clear answers,but yield someeffects that certainlywarrant follow-up. Kiepenheuertransported his pigeonsin an earth-strengthmagnetic field with an inverted verticalcomponent. By the Wiltschkomodel, this manipulationshould reverse the magneticcompass. An effect wasobserved only in first-flight pigeonsin which exper- imentalshad a mean vanishingbearing deflecteda significant30 ø to the right of controls in releasesunder sunnyconditions. Experienced pigeons showed no effect and no differencesin vanishingtimes or homing speeds.The Wiltschkosand Keetonreversed the horizontalcomponent of the field and took advantageof straightroads to reachthe release points. The only effect was an increasein the scatter of vanishingbearings among the experimentalbirds. Out of 20 releases,the experimentalsfailed to reach Rayleighsignif- icancein eight experimentsin whichthe controlswere oriented.In two other releasesthe controlswere oriented, the experimentalswere not, but a third group of birds exposed to the altered magneticfield only after arriving at the release site also failed to show significantdirectionality. Thus in theseexperiments the only apparent effect was a dec- 170] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

rementin initial orientation.It appearsthat magneticinformation perceived during the outwardjourney may have someinfluence on pigeon homing, but it is not yet clear what that influence is.--Kenneth P. Able. 8. Importance of daytime flights of nocturnal migrants: redetermined migration following displacement.S. A. Gauthreaux,Jr. 1978. In "Animal Migration,Navigation, and Homing," K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton,eds., p. 219-227. Heidelberg,Spring- er-Verlag.--Typical nocturnalmigrants are frequently observedmoving during the early morning hours. The best known of thesemovements is the coastwardflight of birds that have presumablydrifted out to sea during the previous night's migration. The function of inlandmorning flight has remainedobscure and reflectsthe paucityof studiesexam- ining this phenomenon.Gauthreaux, in a first exploration,hypothesizes that inland morning flight by nocturnal migrants resultsin a correctionfor wind displacementaccrued during nocturnalmigration. His hypothesisis basedon the premisethat migrantsfly a preferred headingat night, and are displacedfrom this headingby lateralwind components. At leasta partial correctionfor displacementresults if morning migrantsfly into the wind, a direction more or lessorthogonal to their preferred headingat night. Migra- tion on calm nightsin westernSouth Carolina is orientednortheast in springand southwest in autumn. These are assumedto be the preferred headings.Prevailing westerly winds during both seasonscause an eastwarddisplacement from the preferred heading. The hypothesispredicts a northwestmorning movementregardless of season.Morning flight in South Carolina wasdirected toward the northwestin both spring and fall, supporting the hypothesis.Gauthreaux concludes that morning flight resultsin a correction for displacement.The critical test of Gauthreaux'shypothesis is the observationof a southeastwardmorning flight after nights with easterlywinds. On the few occasionswith easterlywinds, Gauthreauxhas observedthe predicted southeastmorning flight. East winds are relatively rare and the data too few for any conclusionsregarding westward displacement. Whereasmorning flight in SouthCarolina seems to occurin directionsthat compen- satefor wind displacement,similar movementsin easternNew York are consistentlyori- ented in the same direction as the previous nocturnal flight. I have interpreted these movementsas continued migration (Bingman, 1978, unpubl. M.S. thesis).The basisof this geographicvariability in the behaviorof nocturnalmigrants in the early morning is unknown.--Verner P. Bingman. 9. Further analysis of the magnetic compassof migratory birds. W. Wiltschko. 1978. In "Animal Migration, Navigation,and Homing," K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton, eds., p. 302-310. Heidelberg, Springer-Verlag.--The orientation of European Robins(Erithacus rubecula) in indoor cageswas used to exploresome new aspectsof magneticorientation that may shedlight indirectlyon the mechanismof the magneticcompass. First, Wiltschkoexplored the functionalintensity range of magneticorientation. Robins trapped and held in a field of 0.46 gaussshowed orientation over an intensityrange of -+0.2 gauss.After about three daysof acclimation,the birds could orient at considerably higher or lower field strengths(0.16-1.50 gauss).Interestingly, birds acclimatedto these field valuesstill orientedat earth-strengthfields (i.e., 0.46 gauss),but not at an interme- diate value (0.81 gauss). A secondseries of experimentstested the orientation abilitiesof robins under alternating magneticfields. Three typesof 1 Hz oscillations(rectangular, sine, and saw-tooth waves)were used,each including normal intensity values (0.46 gauss)within its amplitude range. No orientation was observedunder any sine wave, regardlessof amplitude (one very low amplitude sine wave was used), whereasunder the rectangularand saw-tooth wavestypical weak directionalityoccurred. These data suggestthat to be usablefor orientation,a magneticfield musthave at leastsome portion of constantintensity within the functional range of the bird. The minimum duration of this constantintensity was not determined. The resultsof both setsof experimentsmay be interpreted in the contextof Leask's recent model of magnetoreception(Nature, Lond., 267: 144-146, 1977; see Bird-Banding, 48: 375, 1977).--Kenneth P. Able. Vol.50, •o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 171

10. Anomalies in the Earth's magnetic field increasethe scatter of pigeons' van- ishing bearings. C. Walcott. 1978. In "Animal Migration, Navigation,and Homing," K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton,eds., p. 143-151, Heidelberg,Springer-Verlag.--Ear- lief reportsconcerning effects of minor temporalvariations in the earth'smagnetic field on bird orientation suggesteda very high level of sensitivityto magneticstimuli. These resultshave now been supportedby experimentswith homing pigeonsthat show the influenceof very small field variationsassociated with local magneticanomalies. At five of six anomalieswith variationsin field strength to 3,000 gamma over distancesof less than 1 kin, the vanishingbearings of pigeonswere significantlymore scatteredthan at two magneticallynormal sites.These releaseswere performed under sunnyskies and the resultssuggest that the magneticinfluence is actingeither upon the sun compassor upon the navigationalsystem itself. Similar resultsobtained by Wagner (Rev.Suisse Zool., 83: 883-890, 1976) at very weak anomalies(ca. 80 gamma variation)point to a behavioral sensitivityto changesin the magneticfield on the order of a very few percentof the local field strength.--Kenneth P. Able. 11. Local anesthesia of the olfactory membrane and homing in pigeons. K. Schmidt-Koenigand J. B. Phillips.1978. In "AnimalMigration, Navigation, and Homing," K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton, eds., p. 119-124. Heidelberg, Springer-Verlag.-- A new and potentiallypowerful techniquewas applied to Papi'solfactory navigation hy- pothesisof pigeonhoming. Commercial xylocaine spray was shown to eliminatethe ability to detect a strong odorant (amylacerate)through experimentsemploying cardiac conditioning. Control applicationsof xylocaineunder the tonguehad no effect on odor dis- crimination, supporting the thesisthat the results were not due to irritation or some nonspecificeffect. Two seriesof homing experimentswere performed at 40 km and 70 km N, S, E, and W of the loft. Significantresults supporting the olfactoryhypothesis were obtainedonly in the 40-kin series.Whereas the pooled resultsfrom all eight releasesat 40 km showedno significantdifferences, there were differencesin the first three releases of that series.Pigeons sprayed with xylocainebefore departure from the loft showed significantlypoorer initial orientationthan either controls(sprayed with xylocainesolution lackingthe activeingredients) or birds to which xylocainewas administered at the release site. The experimentalsalso had significantlypoorer homing speeds(rs. controls).Al- though these resultswere not as clear-cutas those of Papi'sgroup, they provide some support for the olfactoryhypothesis.--Kenneth P. Able. 12. Orientation strategies used by free-flying bird migrants: a radar tracking study. S. T. Emlen and N.J. Demong. 1978. In "Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing," K. Schmidt-Koenigand W. T. Keeton,eds., p. 283-293. Heidelberg,Springer- Verlag.--Who would have thought that one could catcha migrant, releaseit aloft at night from a small box carried by a balloon,and expect it to initiate migration?Emlen and Demonghad preciselythat daring idea and in 1971 they proceededto find out if sucha risky techniquewould allow the study of orientation roechanismsof free-flying migrants to be broughtunder a degreeof experimentalcontrol. If it worked,the procedurewould enable one to examine the orientation behavior of birds of known speciesand prior treatmentreleased under conditionsselected by the investigator.During the springsof 1971 and 1979, 64 White-throated Sparrows (Zonot•chiaalbicollis) were released and tracked with radar at WallopsIsland, Virginia. Remarkably,when birds physiologically ready for migrationwere releasedunder good migrationconditions, most birds embarked on climbingor levelflights of long durationthat gaveevery indication of beingmigratory (see Demong and Emlen, Bird-Banding,49: 342-359, 1978). This paper presentssome results pertinent to questionsconcerning orientation cues. Under clear night skies,45 sparrowsheaded almostdue north, even when releasedin stiff westwinds that resulted in seawardtracks. Six birds releasedduring the interval betweensunset and the appear- ance of the first stars also headed in a NNE direction. Under solid overcast skies the birds appearedto be able to selecta northward heading,but they did so morc slowlyand often exhibited zigzaggingflight. In addition, flight headingswere quite scatteredunder solid cloud cover. The authors claim that the obvious landmarks associated with the coastal releasesite were used minimally if at all by the birds. Whereassome birds did fly along 172] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 tracksthat carried them out to sea,most followeda courseclosely parallel to the general directionof the coastlineand I am lessconvinced than Emlen and Demongthat landmarks were not used. This important and innovativestudy supportsthe idea that celestialcues are important in the orientation of the White-throated Sparrow, but that the birds can probably selectan appropriatedirection in the absenceof sun or stars.The data supportthe idea, alsoprominent in other recentstudies, that the positionof sunsetmay be an important directionalcue for nocturnalmigrants (see review 16).--Kenneth P. Able. 13. Test of magnetic sensitivity in seven speciesof European birds using a cardiac nociceptiveconditioning procedure. J. Beaugrand.1977. Behavioural Processes, 2(2): 113- 127. (In Englishwith French resum6.)--In an attempt to showmagnetic sensitivity in Streptopeliaturtur, S. decaocto,Corvus monedula, C. corone,Turdus philomelos, T. viscivorus,and Ariaspenelope, the author conditionedthem to a light. They were then given 100 "presen- tations"of magneticstimuli (GS+) reversingthe vertical Z componentof the local field, and 100 of a controlstimulus for artifacts(GS-). "Gardiacactivity was used as an index of reactivitythroughout the study.Results indicated that magneticstimuli were not used asa cue presagingthe forthcomingshock." Results were in agreementwith thoseof several other workers who have failed to showclearly magneticsensitivity in birds subjectedto conditioning.--Leon Kelso. 14. Migratory movementsand plumage of subadult SaskatchewanBald Eagles.J. M. Gerrard, D. W. A. Whitfield, P. Gerrard, P. N. Gerrard, and W. J. Maher. 1978. Can. Field-Nat.,92: 375-382.--Vinyl wingmarkers, first described by Kochert(RaptorRes. News, 7:117-118, 1973),were used to mark individually43 Bald Eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) hatchedat BresnardLake, Saskatchewanin 1973and 1974.These conspicuously marked eagleshave yielded an impressiveamount of information on survival(e.g., 37% survive their first year, 23% their secondyear, 19% their third year) and dispersal.Birds moved through southern Saskatchewanto winter in a broad region extending from Montana to Missouri, Texas, and southern California. Most eagles returned to Bresnard Lake in subsequentsummers, but did not breed until their fourth or fifth summer,by whichtime they had attained complete adult plumage. Many of the eaglesreturned to the same winter quartersin succeedingyears. Despitethe enormouspotential of vinyl wing markersas a researchtool, they are not without risk. One of the 43 eaglestangled its markers in a tree and perished.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 15. Endogenouslycontrolled changesin migratory direction of the Garden War- bler (Sylvia borin). E. Gwinner and W. Wiltschko. 1978.J. Comp.Physiol. A, 125: 267- 273.--Banding returns and the wintering range of the Garden Warbler indicate that individualsof this specieschange their directionof migrationupon reachingor approaching northern Africa. The authors hypothesizethat this shift in migratory'direction is controlledby endogenoustiming factors.Birds were testedindoors for orientationunder constantlight conditions.The studytook placein the autumnsof 1972-1975. Orientation prior to 1 Octoberwas compared with that after 1 October,when free-flyingbirds should have reachedAfrica and flight directionswere presumedto have shifted counterclockwise. Pooledresults from 1972-1975, along with the resultsfrom two individual seasons(1972, 1975), showeda significantcounterclockwise shift in the mean direction of orientation after 1 October. No significantdifferences in orientation were observedin the remaining two seasons.The observedcounterclockwise shift in orientationis that predictedfor free- flying birds nearing Africa, and the authors concludethat this directional shift is endogenouslycontrolled. The mean directionsof individual bird-nights prior to and after 1 October were pooledto testfor directionality.The useof the meandirection of an individualbird-night, even though activitymay havebeen random, makesany statisticaltreatment of the pooled mean directionssuspect. It is unknownjust how many individualbird-nights were actually random in this study. However, low levelsof activityand low concentrationsabout tnean directionsreported for individualbird-nights suggest that random activitywas not infre- quent. In any event, the novel treatment of the control of direction changesduring mi- Vol.50, •,,. 2 RecentLiterature [ 173

gration in this study shouldencourage further researchinto this intriguing question.-- Verner P. Bingman. 16. Sunsetand the orientation of a nocturnal migrant bird. F. Moore. 1978. Nature, Lond.,274: 154-156.--Numerousenvironmental stimuli are known to be usedby nocturnal migrantsto orient.Surprisingly, the settingsun has been neglected by researchers as a potentialorientational cue (but see review 12). Moore'sstudy is the first to verify experimentallythe useof the sun by rwcturnalmigrants. Individual Savannah Sparrows (Passerculussandwichensis) were testedfor orientation under three experimentalconditions: (1) birds exposedto both the settingsun and stars;(2) birds exposedonly to stars;and (3) birds exposedonly to the settingsun. Of the 14 birds examined in this study, 13 showednonrandom orientation when exposedto both starsand sun. Eleven birds were orientedwhen exposedonly to the settingsun whereasone of 14 orientedwhen exposed to starsonly. The author concludesthat the setting sun is used as a directionalcue by migratingSavannah Sparrows. Moore's results have recently been replicated with another nocturnalmigrant, the White-throatedSparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) (Bingman and Able, A,im. Behar., in press). This study clearly showsthat the sun may be used as a directionalcue, but it raises seriousquestions as to the nature of the star compass(only I of 14 birds was oriented when exposedto the starsonly). It now becomestempting to speculatethat Savannah Sparrowscannot use the starsas a directionalcue independentof referencesupplied by the setting sun. The absenceof orientation in the "starsonly" group may be a result of an inability to use the stars without seeingthe sun first, or simply reflect the reduced activitylevels observed in this group. Unfortunately, a distinctioncannot be made at this time.--Verner P. Bingman. 17. Proposed principles of magnetic field perception in birds. H. G. Wallraft. 1978.Oikos, 30:188-194.--Wallraft, in a stimulatingtheoretical paper, addresses the question of how a migratorybird usesthe earth'smagnetic field as an orientationcue. His model is basedon the premisethat it is the strengthor intensitycomponent of the magnetic field vectorthat is used,not the directionalcomponent employed in a typicalcom- pass.In effect, the animal possessesan analogof a gaussmeterprobe. A bird with a given inclinationto the earth's magneticfield might sensevarying intensityinputs as it moves in a horizontal plane. Within a wide geographicrange, betweenapproximately 20 ø and 70ø north and southlatitude, the rangein measuredintensities with respectto the bird's body axisis unimodal.The bird could use the directionof highest(or lowest)intensity as a referencefor orientation.However, the unimodaldistribution is dependenton the bird's inclinationwhich will vary with its geographicallocation. The measurementof intensity is basedon electromagneticinduction and therefbre dependenton the bird'smovement. Wallraft citesthis asthe likely reasonwhy it hasbeen difficult to showmagnetic sensitivity in cagestudies. He further hypothesizesthat the probe is dependenton flapping flight with the important part of the probe locatedin the wings.The proposedmechanism does not involvethe measurementof absoluteintensities, but only on the changein intensity as the bird movesthrough a horizontal plane. The model is independent of the polarity of the earth's magneticfield and conse- quently is consistentwith the Wiltschkomodel of the magneticcompass (see review 9). However, a bird migrating where the inclination of the earth's magneticfield approaches 0ø or 90ø (near the equator and the poles)could not orient by the mechanismproposed here becausethe distribution of intensitiesbecomes bimodal or uniform, respectively. Regardlessof this limitation, WallrafPs model will undoubtedly be the focus of much e•npirical researchin the yearsto come.--Verner P. Bingmam. 18. On the possible influence of earthquakeson the migration of birds. D. Nan- kinov. 1977.Ring (Wroclaw),92(3): 133-136. (In English.)--Fragmentaryobservations and inconclusiveopinions on possiblesensitMty of birds to earthquakesoccur in ornithological literature but there is little substantialevidence of a connection.The following is oftered for evaluation,particularly as to mode of analysis.Recorded were the data from an earthquake of 4 March 1977 between 2300 and midnight in southeasternEurope, 174] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 coveringmuch of the Balkan Peninsulawith an epicentrumin Vrancei Mts. in Romania. Its intensityspanned 4 to 8 on the RichterScale. Starting 20 February1977 local migratory movementswere observed.In spring 1976, Fringillacoelebs was abundant in flocksof 10- 400. In 1977, passagewas normal to 2 March, then ceased,to resumeonly after 20 March. For Sturnusvulgaris, normally in thousands,passage ceased entirely. Comparedto spring 1976, Emberizacitrinella, E. cirlus,Carduelis chloris, Phoenicurus ochruros, Luscinia megarhyn- chos,Sylvia atricapilla, Delichon urbica, Hirundo rustica,Otus scops, and other common mi- gratoryspecies were absent.The author suggeststhat all alterationof transientsin 1977 "werecaused by the earthquakewhich occurred in March and April 1977,as no noticeable climaticchanges were noted in the area concerned."He theorizesthat birds react to the "voice of the earth;" in other words they are sensitiveto infrasoundsemitted by the slightestmovements of the earth'scrust components.--Leon Kelso. 19. Breastfeathers and an air-current senseorgan for the control of flight behaviour in a songbird(Carduelis spinus). M. Geweckeand M. Woike. 1978. Z. Tierpsychol., 47: 293-298.--Several authorshave shown that there is a mostefficient flight speedfor a givenavian species: more energyis expendedwhen the bird fliesat sloweror fasterair speeds.It would thereforebe usefulfor a bird to senseits air speed,and in an ingenious experimentGewecke and Woike showthat Pine Siskins(Carduelis spinus) do thiswith their breastfeathers. Very briefly, the bird is tethered on a lever that recordslift and thrust forceswhile a photocellrecords wing beats;the bird is placedin a wind tunnel where an anemometersenses air speed.Then air speedis adjustedso that thrust is zero, givingthe speed of the bird through the air. Siskinsflap constantlywhen taking off, but when reachingpresumably efficient speed go into the undulating flap-sailalternation characteristicof carduelinefinches. When the breastfeathers are sprayedwith a micro-thinlayer of acrylicacid ester,so that feathersare stucktogether, the alternationbetween flap and sail phasesbecomes more rapid, primarily becausethe sail portion is considerablyshort- ened. The authors concludethat depressionof feathersby the air stream over them activatemechanoreceptors at their base, and thesereceptors provide negativefeedback that inhibitsflapping. A very interestingstudy.--Jack P. Hailman. 20. Wind effect on the flight altitude of the Chaffinch. (Vliyanie vetra na vysotu proleta zyablika(Fringilla coelebsL.)) A. Poluda. 1978. Vest.Zool., 1978(2): 42-45. (In Russian.)--Thealtitudinal variation of migratoryflight in Chaffinchesis correlatedwith wind velocityand direction.Against head winds migrationis at lower altitudesthan in still air, presumablybecause wind velocitiesdecline as one approachesthe ground. The authorsbelieve that wind exertsa simpledirect effect on the flight altitudeof passetines in general. But how is this effected?This seemsless simple the more one considersit. In mild weatherindependent of other factors(cloudiness, visibility) Chaffinch flight varies from 10 to 120 m but the bulk of the flocksfly at heightsof 15-30 m. With irregular, incidentalwinds the altitudeof migratoryflight commonlyrises to 200-500 m and more as the wind velocitywill be higher than near the ground (10 m), and the birds may find it more advantageousto accompanystronger incidental winds. With head windsaltitude decreasesbut altitude in this caseis influencednot only by a trend to favor the lowest velocityhead wind but alsoby a contrarytrend--to hold to a satisfactorilybroad field of vision.--Leon Kelso.

POPULATION DYNAMICS (See also 4, 32, 36, 37, 85) 21. Recoveries of Saskatchewan-banded Great Horned Owls. C. S. Houston. 1978. Can.Field-Nat., 92: 61-66.--Great Horned Owls (Bubovirginianus) disperse farther during yearswhen SnowshoeHares (Lepusamericanus) are scarce(see review 23) than in years when the populationof haresis increasingor abundant.Furthermore, dispersal is almost exclusivelysoutheastward into Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,Ne- braska, and Iowa. The study is based on 2,229 owls banded as nestlingsor flightless fledglings,incredible even for the indefatigableDr. Houston and his volunteer army of owl-watchers.However, I wishthat the analysisexplored the data a bit more. Which age Vol.50, No. 2 RecentLiterature [ 175 classwandered the most?Which age classwandered mosterratically? most systematically? Are the answersdependent on the abundanceof hares?These are answerable,but un- answeredquestions.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 22. Decline of a Ruffed Grouse population in Manitoba. D. H. Rusch,N. M. Gil- lespie, and D. J. McKay. 1978. Can. Field-Nat., 92: 123-127.--The fantastic decline in Ruffed Grouse(Bonasa umbellus) in the Interlake Region of Manitoba, from 134 per hect- are in the spring of 1971 to 2 per hectarein the spring of 1973 is the result not of reproductivefailure nor of emigration but of increasedmortality during the summer and fall. The populationof SnowshoeHares (Lepusamericanus) declined about a year before the crash in the grouse population, leading the authors to suggestthat predators shift their attention from hares to grouse. This seemsreasonable, but supporting data are inconclusiveand there the paper ends.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 23. Regional movementsand mortality of Great Horned Owls in relation to Snow- shoe Hare fluctuations. R. S. Adamcik and L. B. Keith. 1978. Can. Field-Nat., 92: 228- 234.--Analysis of banding recordsfrom Saskatchewan,Alberta, and Manitoba revealsthat during yearswhen the populationof SnowshoeHares is increasingGreat Horned Owls are sedentary;only 10% of the bandedbirds were recoveredmore than 100 km from the site of banding. In yearswhen the populationof SnowshoeHares is declining,the owls disperse;48% of the recovered birds had moved more than 100 km from the place of banding.The directionof dispersalis independentof the abundanceof SnowshoeHares and the number of emigratingowls (see review 21). Whereasdispersal depends on fluctuationsin the populationof SnowshoeHares, mortality is affected primarily by the age of the owls.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 24. Arrivals and departuresof wintering CommonSnipe in Central BrazosValley of Texas. K. A. Arnold and D. J. Jirovec. 1978. N. Amer.Bird Band., 3(2): 45-47.--This study of the Common Snipe (Capellagallinago) in East-CentralTexas was basedon birds captured in mist nets betweenJanuary 1968 and April 1974. Over 1,900 birds were trapped in 18 m x 2.7 m 2-pocket nets of 10 cm mesh and were banded. Nets were randomlyset up in areaswhere birds were seenand were operatedin late afternoon and early morning hours. The earliestarrival date was 17 September(14 daysearlier than previouslyreported date) and the latestdeparture was 7 May (17 dayslater than previously reported). The data suggestfidelity to the wintering groundsand averagearrival/departure earliest/latestdates of 10 November and 10 March. This study amply showsthe long- term, concentratedeffort required to demonstratepopulation phenomenasuch as resident periodsfor wintering birds and fidelity to wintering grounds.--RichardJ. Clark.

NESTING AND REPRODUCTION (See also 3, 4, 42, 49, 50, 52, 60, 65, 69, 74, 77, 82, 84, 92, 93) 25. Growth of nestling Meadow Pipits Artthuspratensis. [La croissancedes jeunes Pipitsfarlouses Anthuspratensis au hid.] J.-C. Pedroliand M. Graf-Jaccottet.1978. Alauda, 46: 171-176. (In Frenchwith Englishand Germansummaries.)--Weights and lengthsof severaldeveloping wing featherswere measuredon nestlingsin 12 nestsof A. pratensisin the SwissJura. The authorspropose combinations of severalof the measuresas useful for agingnestlings of this species,but do not presenttheir criteria explicitly.The duration of nest life determined in this studywas the same,ca. 12.5 days,as that previouslydeter- mined in other parts of the species'range.--Paul B. Hamel. 26. On the biology of the Vinous-throatedParrotbill. (K biologiiburoi sutory,Su- thora webbianamantschurica Tacz.) Yu Nazarov, O. Valchuk, and E. Kushmarev. 1978. Bid. Nauki, 1978(4): 68-72. (In Russian.)--The placingof this speciesin an uncertain family, Paradoxornithidae,is as problematic as its little-known habits. It was common in South Primor but its numbersvaried in 1974-1976. Nestswere built in late April. Clutch size was 5-7, incubationlasted 13-14 days, nestlingsdeparted after 11-12 days and there were 2-3 clutchesper season.In summer the main fbodswere smalllepidopteran larvae and spiders.Nests were deep-cylindricalto cup-likein shape,open at the top, and attached 176] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 to pliant plant stems16-135 cm aboveground. Forty-one nests were observed. Both adults built the nests,in 3-5 days,bringing material from distancesof 30-150 m, at 4-5 minute intervals.Initiated nestswere readily abandoned,with egg laying only after 3-4 attempts. Nestswere readilyfound althoughin densegrowth, sheltered by broad leavesor tufts of dry noddinggrass. Nest materialsincluded shredded stems and leavesof grasses,sedges, wormwood,tree bark, alder, poplar and willowleaves, and other bits pickedfrom spider websand butterfly cocoons.In almostevery nest were 2-3-cm stemsand leavesof reeds. In one caseonly, horsehair wasfound. Nest shapeswere long-cylindrical(72%) or broad and flat. Measurements(of 41 observed)were 60-125 x 60-95 mm. Cavity diameter was 43-70 mm, depth 35-60 mm. Colorsof eggsvaried from deep blue to greenishor pale blue. Both parentsincubated, alternating every 20-50 minutes.The young(of 104 seen) varied in colorationfrom fleshcolor to fleshy-grayabove. Most showed two elongatedark patcheson the anterior palate.One bandedpair fledgedthree broodsin a little over three months.Second nests were begun4-6 daysafter a fledging.Both parentsfed the young, foraging 30-50 m from the nest. Visiting frequencieswere every 15 min in morning, every 15 min in evening.The itemsbrought were lessthan 20 mm in length. Their nests were victimizedby Cuculuscanorus and C. poliocephalus,the Common and Little cuckoos. Their main enemieswere Picapica, the Common Magpie, and Laniuscristatus, the Brown Shrike, and snakes.Nest mortalityby raptorswas about 30%. There wassome loss from domesticcattle, breaking up nestsas they thrashed paths through the undergrowth.- Leon Kelso. 27. The breeding biology of the Dipper. G. Shaw. 1978. Bird Study,25(3): 149- 160.--This analysisof nest record cards,collected from 1943 to 1972, quantitativelyde- scribesmany aspectsof the nestinghabits of the European Dipper (Cincluscinclus). In- cludedin the analysisare: nestsites, height of nestsabove the groundor water,seasonality of nesting,presence of secondbroods, clutch and brood sizes,incubation and fledging periods,and fledgingsuccess. Among the more interestingresults are that genuinesecond broodsare raisedin the samenest as first broods,unlike many other passetines.The only real drawbackto the paper is the method of data collection,which may have introduced biasesinto some of the analyses,such as habitat preferencesfor nest sites.--ScottR. Robinson. 28. Some breeding statisticsof Reed and Sedge warblers. C. J. Bibby. Bird Study, 25(4): 207-222.--This paper, basedon an analysisof nest record cardssubmitted to the British Trust for Ornithology,adequately describes most of the important measuresof breedingactivity for Reed (Acrocephalusscirpaceus) and Sedge(A. schoenobaenus)warblers in Britain. Included are: seasonalityof nesting,clutch and brood sizes,nesting success, causesof failure, and number of attemptedbroods. In spiteof the techniquesemployed in data collection,which might producebiased samples, the comparisonsof the breeding biologyof the two related speciesappear sound.--ScottR. Robinson. 29. Breeding ecology of the Merlin in Northumberland. I. Newton, E. R. Meck, and B. Little. 1978.British Birds, 71(9): 376-399.--Observationsfrom 1961-1976 provide information on habitat, breeding,food, and movementsof Merlins whosepopulations have suffered from organochlorinecontamination and reduction of breeding habitat. Levelsof DDE and PCB and shell-thinningfound in recent eggsare thought to have depressedbreeding success.--Patricia A. Gowaty. 30. Nesting behavior and food habitsof ParasiticJaegers at AndersonRiver Delta, NorthwestTerritories. M. Martin and T. W. Barry. 1978. Can. Field-Nat.,92: 45-50.-- The authorsdiscuss the reproductivebiology of ParasiticJaegers (Stercorarius parasiticus) in an area uninhabitedby Pomarine(S. pomarinus) and Long-tailed(S. longicaudus)jaegers. Sevennests were found in the river delta, a densityof 1 nest per 2,300 ha. Reproductive successwas 14.3%despite constant incubation by both parentsin alternation.Eggs in the clutcheshatched asynchronously and in all sevenbroods the smallerchick disappeared a few days after hatching.The parents at one nest attended their survivingchick 92% of the time. Analysisof 173 food pelletsconfirms the predatory nature of jaegers. Avian remains,mostly passefine, occurred in 85% of the pelletsand mammalianremains oc- Vol.50, •4o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 177

curred in 25%. The authors fail to compare their results with those of Pitelka et al. (Ecol. Monogr.,t>5: 85-117, 1955) and Maher, (Pac.Coast Avifauna, 37, 1974) who studiedthe reproductivebiology of the three speciesof jaegers in areasof sympatry.Comparison of the reproductivebiology of the ParasiticJaeger in areas of sympatryand allopatry with other jaegers should have been possibleand would have raisedthis article abovethe realm of "interestinganecdotes I have read somewhere."--EdwardH. Burtt, Jr. 31. Reproductive successof Herring Gulls on Granite Island, northern Lake Su- perior, 1975 and 1976.J. P. Ryder and T. R. Carroll. 1978. Can. Field-Nat.,9t>: 51-54.- Herring Gulls (Larusargentatus) nesting on Granite Island in Lake Superior raised 1.32 young/pairin 1975 and 1.55 young/pairin 1976. Suchreproductive success is the highest yet recordedamong Herring Gulls in the Great Lakes ecosystem,yet Lake Superior has a higher concentrationof pesticidesand PCB's than Lakes Huron and Erie. The authors point out that reduced reproductivesuccess may result from factorsother than contam- ination by organochlorines.However, there are no measurementsof organochlorinecon- taminantspresent in eggs, chicks,adults, or fish. The lack of correlation is based on analysisof water samples,a shaky basis.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 32. The ecology of the Great Tit in the Murmansk Region. (K ekologii bolshoi sinitsyv MurmanskoiOblasti.) V. Bianki, and E. Shutova.1978. Byull.Mosk. Obschch. Ispyt. Prirody,Biol. Div., 83(2): 63-70. (In Russian.)--Anothercontribution to the life historyof the Great Tit (Parusmajor) would seemsuperfluous in light of its vastcurrent literature. However,this studyfocuses on the tit's nestingphenology from 1971-1976 on the islands in KandalakshaBay. Nesting materialsare analyzed. Instancesof secondnesting after first brood departure are cited. Data on egg size relative to duration of first and second broodsare discussed.The diurnal singingof malesand persistenceof femaleson the nest during egg laying, incubation,and rearing of young are tabulated.The fall molt of juveniles and adults is described.The authors suggestthat the sparsehuman population haslimited the populationof Parusmajor. There wasvariation in nestcomposition: weight varied from 14-67 g; the amount of mammal fur varied from 42% in May to 35% in June, and 18% in July. First clutcheswere laid in mid-May. Replacementclutches started 2-6 days after lossof the preceding clutch, and 1-2 days after fledging of a preceding brood. The first clutch averaged 9 eggs,the secondclutch 8.7 eggs.The last young to fledge left on 13 August. Incubation lasted 14-15 days for first clutches,10-11 days for secondclutches, (numerous authors report 13-16 days for more southernlocales). Most young fledgedin 17-19 days.Of 123 eggs,107 (87%) hatched,of which54 (50%) fledged. Of 57 youngbanded none returned to nestlocally. The shortestdistance between nesting females was 100 m. Replacementnests were about 700 m distant from the former (3 instances).--Leon Kelso.

33. Eggand clutchsizes in four passerinespecies in northernFinland. M. Ojanen, M. Orrel, and R. A. Vais•inen. 1978. Ornis Fenn., 55: 60-68.--Studies of four species breedingin nestboxes(Great Tit Parusma]'or, Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, Redstart Phoenicurusphoenicurus, and StarlingSturnus vulgaris) provided basic data on clutchsize and egg dimensionsand testedthe relationshipbetween these. Clutch size tended to increasewith latitudein Europe in three of the four species;no tendencyto increasewas found in the Redstart.No geographictrend was found in sizeor shapeof the egg. In Great Tits and Starlingsegg sizeincreases with increasingclutch size, but in Redstartsit decreases.Egg measurements from smallclutches tend to havea highlength:width ratio, and the authorscaution a•ainst using egg measurementsfrom smallclutches as repre- sentativeof a population.The authorscite the paperof Perrinsand Jones(Condor, 76: 225-229, 1974) as evidencefor a high "heritability"of egg sizeand clutchsize, whereas in factthat paper merely estimated "heritability" as the unexplainedvariance after a series of stepwiseregressions of environmentaland age variablesknown to be relatedto egg sizeand clutchsize. This statisticalapproach is unsoundand hasbeen discussed in detail by Lewontin(The analysisof varianceand the analysisof causes,Amer. J. HumanGenetics, 26:400-411, 1974),which should be read by any biologistsattempting to sortout multiple causesor environmentalvs. geneticcauses.--Robert B. Payne. 178] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

34. Breeding biology of the Starling Sturnus vulgaris in western Finland. E. Kor- pim•iki. 1978. OrnisFenn., 55: 93-104.--Based on analysisof 239 nestingrecords over the years1966-1977 in Kauhava,clutch size averages 5.12 and decreaseslinearly through the breeding season.Incubation takes 12 days and the nestling period is 20 days. Losses during incubation are greater than during the nestling stages.The timing of breeding varieswith late spring temperature,with cold temperaturesdelaying breeding, and timing alsovaries with latitude acrossFinland, with later breedingin the north. Clutch sizevaries directly with the temperature during egg laying, not with earlier temperatures.Clutch size varies with latitude in mainland Finland, from a mean of 4.94 at 60-62 ø N to 5.27- 5.44 at 65-66 øN, but clutchsize is higher on the SW archipelago.Breeding success (young fledged/clutch)is lower in three studiesin Finland than in most studiesin Continental Europe and the British Isles. The effect of temperature on timing of breeding, clutch size, and breeding successall suggestthat Starlingsdo better in more southern regions. Besi•testemperatures, Starlings are affectedby changingagricultural practices, and de- creasingnumbers may alsoresult from control in their wintering areas.--Robert B. Payne.

35. Optimal egg shapein waders.M. Andersson.1978. OrnisFenn., 55: 105-109.- Why are eggsnarrow at one end? A simple geometricalmodel comparesthe volume of sphericaleggs with spheres having a conewith a maximumradial length of r•/•. Conical eggswith this dimensionfit into the samevolume in the nest, with the conespointed to the center and touchingthe floor of the nest,and they contain8% more egg volumethan the sphericalegg. The implicitassumption in the modelis that the sizeof the brood patch is fixed and limiting, and under theseconditions waders with a clutch of four eggsmay "optimize"egg shapeby maximizingthe volumeof eggshaving the assumedshape char- acteristicsof a sphere capped with a cone. As with most "optimization"models current in biology,the engineeringsolution is not quite the sameas the observednatural egg shape, and so we postulateother "selectivepressures" such as coolingrates, physicalstresses on the eggshell,and economyof shell material which compromisethe "optimal."The lesson of the "optimization"studies is that no singlefunction can be optimizedindependently of the others.--Robert B. Payne.

36. Breedingbiology of the Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca in easternFinland. S. Pasanen.1977. OrnisFenn., 54(3): 119-122. (In English.)--Theaim of this studyis to elucidategeographic variation. A total of 119 nestswere examined at Lieksa (63ø30'N, 29ø40'E)in 1972-1975.The clutchsize averaged 6.08. An averageof 5.56 younghatched. The totalhatching percentage of 115completed clutches was 91.3%. After egglaying had started 16% of the nestswere desertedor destroyedby predators.The clutch size,the numberof younghatched, and the hatchingpercentage declined as the seasonadvanced. Thesedecreases correlated well with other Fennoscandianstudies (i.e., a generaldecrease of clutchsize northwards).Provision of nest boxesvariously favored or controlledthe nestings.The bottomsof nestboxes were 10 x 15 cm, with entrances(35 mm in diameter) 15 cm from the bottom. The boxeswere fastenedon trees at heightsof 1.5-2 m, at distancesof 30-50 m apart. A total of 65 breedingfemales and over 500 nestlingswere banded.These data are suitablefor comparisonwith the numerousother studies.--Leon Kelso.

37. Fluctuationsof the nestingpopulations of SnowGeese of Wrangell Island in 1969-1973. (Izmeneniya chislennostignezdyashchikhsya belykh gusei o-va Vrangelya 1969-1973). E Syroechkovskii,A. Krechmar, and A. Artyukhov. 1977. Ornitologiya,13: 212-213. (In Russian.)--On this island for the years 1969-1973 inclusive,the nesting areasfor Ansercaerulescens totaled 1,950, 2,600, 850, 920, and 200 ha respectively.Nesting densitiesper ha were30, 14, 14, 20, and 30 respectively.Nesting pair totalswere 67,000, 60,000, 12,000, 19,500, and 6,000 respectively.As pointed out by the authors,weather conditionswere the major causeof the fluctuationsand decline.Only two springseasons were favorablefor nesting,1969 and 1970. Someof the declinewas attributed to Arctic Foxes.Yet the yearlingincrement of the total populationdeclined from about 10% in 1971 to less than 1% in 1973.--Leon Kelso. vol.50, •o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 179

38. The Short-toed Eagle. (Zmeeyad.) V. M. Galushin. 1978. Priroda, 256(8): 158. (In Russian.)--Thatthe Short-toedEagle (Circaetusgallicus) is not considereda "Serpent Eagle"is somethingof an injustice,since its moststriking characteristic is not that its toes are unusuallyshort but that it feeds almost exclusivelyon snakes;its name in Russian (zmeeyad,"snake-eater") and other European languagesreflects its peculiardiet. Although distributedover a wide area (southern,western, and central Europe, the southernhalf of EuropeanUSSR, the USSR'sKazakh Republic,Central Asia, the Near East, Iran, and northern India), this speciesis fairly commononly in Central Asia, where snakes(and lizards)are locallyabundant. In grovesof Turkish terebinth(Pistacia mutica) in Badkhyz,their densityreaches 3-4 active nestsper 10-12 km2. In European forest regions, where snakesare almost extirpated, Short-toed Eaglesare rare. A nest found recently(the year is not given--probably mid-1970's)in the Oka Nature Preserve,about 150 milessoutheast of Moscow,is the first record of this speciesin European USSR in 50 years. In Europeanforests, the eagle is secretive, wary, and quiet. It buildsa loose,slip-shod nest,so small that there seemshardly room for the sittingbird, whosetail alwaysprotrudes over the edge. A Short-toedEagle chick is unenergeticand quite shy. Most raptor chicks can hold their own when confronted by a threat: they fall over on their backsand with dexterousfencing-like thrusts of their talons keep the enemy at a distance.The Short- toed Eagleis different: it "droops,"pressing itself down onto the bottomof the nest,and freezes.Sometimes even the arrival of a parent with food cannotbring the chickout of this state. Becausethe Short-toedEagles' prey are cold-blooded,the birds havea shorter"working day" than other raptors(starting 3-4 hours later and ending 1-2 hoursearlier), and therefore lower "labor productivity."Perhaps as a reflectionof this, Short-toedEagles lay only one egg. On Central Asian deserts,parents have been observedmaking 5-7 flights to the nest with food daily, but the pair in the Oka Preservemanaged only 3 or 4. No food other than snakes(about half of them poisonous)was recorded. The averageweight of the snakeswas 120-150 g, or 8%-10% of the chick'sweight shortlybefore it fledged; during the chick'sstay in the nest(70-80 days),the parentsmay have brought it 250-270 snakes.--Elizabeth Anderson. 39. Incubation ecology of Snow Geeseon Wrangell Island. (Ekologiyanasizhiva- niya belogogusya (Anser caerulescens) na Ostrove Vrangelya.) A. Krechmar,and E. Syr- oechkovskii.1978. Z. Zhurn., 57(6): 899-910. (In Russianwith Englishsummary.)--This is a continuationof life historyresearches on Ansercaerulescens comparable with thoseon the speciesin the Americannorth. Speciallydesigned photoelectric equipment recorded the incubationpattern of birds, registeringtemperatures of the clutches,of a model egg in the clutch and of the soil surfacearound the nest, during egg laying and subsequent incubation.Attention focused on femalenesting behavior revealing many details discussed at length. The data include over 840 hours of incubationtime. Uncertain, fluctuating weather conditionswere the dominant ecologicalfeature of consideration.--LeonKelso.

BEHAVIOR (Seealso 19, 52, 54, 65, 69, 79, 81, 83, 87, 89, 93) 40. On bluebird"responses to apparentfemale adultery." E. S. Morton,M. S. Geitgey,and S. McGrath. 1978. Amer. Nat., 112: 968-971.--Barash (Amer. Nat., 110: 1097- 1101,1976) reported that male Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) attacked their mates whenhe placeda mountedmale near two nests before the clutchwas completed, but attackedonly the mount afterward. This study has been cited by authors fond of "socio- biological"interpretations of behavior as an anti-cuckoldmechanism protecting the male fromadultery by hisfemale. Morton et al. apparentlyset out to confirmthis effect using a largersample size of 17 pairsof EasternBluebirds (S. sialis) breeding in theNational ZoologicalPark's research center in Virginia.They used a malemount, female mount, and a mountof the Hermit Thrush(Catharus guttata), but had to abandonthe experiment afterworking with eight pairs because their birds tore up themounts so badly. Both sexes attackedthe male mount, but only the female attacked the other two mounts. The authors 180] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

managedto presentthe male mount at five nestsprior to completionof the clutch,and in no casedid the male attack his mate at this time, nor in any testsafter completionof the clutch.--Jack P. Hailman. 41. Aggressive communication by Larus glaucescens,Part VI: interactions of territory residents with a remotely controled (sic,) 1ocomotorymodel. C. J. Amlaner, Jr. and J. F. Stout. 1978. Behaviour,õõ: 223-251.--A stuffed Glaucous-wingedGull was mounted on a radio-controlledcart and the reactionsof territory holders to this intruder were noted. The excruciatinglydetailed data amount to this: gullsattack a moving model more than a stationaryone, they tend to choke or otherwisedisplay to an approaching model but tend to attack a receding one, they attack a model facing away more than one facing toward them, and malesattack more than females.The only non-obviousfinding seemsto be that "the lower head-neck posture was correlated with fewer attacks."The radio-controlledgull is a marvelousgadget, but I am unconvincedthat it led to anything that could not havebeen learnedby simplywatching gulls behave.--Jack P. Hailman. 42. Lack of nest site tenacity and mate fidelity in the Starling. C. J. Feare and S. E. Burham. 1978.Bird Study, 25(3): 189-191.--Male Starlings(Sturnus vulgaris) commonly switch mates after their first brood to raise a secondbrood during the same breeding season.This lack of fidelity is based,in part, on lack of successwith the first brood. The authors concludethat male Starlingsmay be maximizingtheir reproductiveeffort by investinglittle, relativeto the female,in initial broodsand beginningsecond or eventhird broodswith other females.However, malesmay be simplychoosing mates using previous breeding successas their criterion for mate selection;thereafter malesmay showstrong fidelity both within and betweenbreeding seasons.What is needed to understandthese problemsare more long-term studiestracing the breeding historyof marked individuals within discretepopulations.--Scott R. Robinson. 43. Territorial responsesto energy manipulation in the Anna Hummingbird. P. W. Ewald and F. L. Carpenter. 1978. Oecologia,31: 277-292.--Evolution of territorial behavior is presumablyfavored when the accrued benefits in fitnessare greater than the costsof defense.Anna Hummingbirds(Calypte anna) defend feedingterritories during the nonbreedingseason. Two key aspectsof territoriality were measuredas the energy availability(nectar) on the territory wasexperimentally varied: (1) territorial exclusiveness and (2) the form of defense.The authorswere interestedin testinga thresholdmodel of territorial defenseproposed earlier by Carpenter and MacMillen (Science,194: 639-642, 1976). Does territorial behaviordisappear below' a thresholdlevel of energy availability or doesit changegradually as territorial rewardsdecline? When energyavailability was unlimited, the residentsdefended highly exclusive territories primarily by energeticallyexpensive, although very effective,defensive behavior (chases).As energyavailability decreased, exclusiveness declined gradually, relative use of energeticallyinexpensive defense increased, and ownersspent less time on their territories.Territorial behavioralso varied with short-termdepressions in energyavailability. A lower percentageof intruderswas chased and departuresof an owner from its territory were more frequent shortlyafter feeding.--Frank R. Moore. 44. Effect of blackenedepaulets on the territorial behaviorand breeding success of male RedwingedBlackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus. L. Morris. 1975. OhioJ. Sci., 75: 168-176.--Morris confirmsthe earlier work of D. Smith (Behaviour,41: 251-268, 1972) wherein the red epauletsof Red-wingedBlackbirds were found to function in male territorial defense.A higher than averagetrespass rate wasrecorded in territoriesof males withblackened epaulets when compared with control males. Males with blackened epaulets were able to mate, however,and bring off successfulbroods, a finding in keepingwith Smith'sconclusion that epauletscommunicate threat betweenrival malesbut have little role in intersexual encounters.--Frank R. Moore. 45. Cultural transmissionof enemy recognition:one function of mobbing.E. Cu- rio, U. Ernst, and W. Vieth. 1978. Science,202: 899-901.--Two Blackbirds(Turdus raerula) wereplaced in largecages a meterapart. Between them was a four-chamberedbox, which couldbe positionedso that each bird couldsee into only one of the twoopposite chambers. Vol.50, •o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 18 1

The "teacher"saw a stuffed Little Owl (Athenenoctua) and oppositeit, the "observer"saw a stuffed Noisy Friar-bird (Philemoncorniculatus). A mobbingresponse by the "teacher" stimulateda similarresponse by the "observer."Any novelsituation, as an emptychamber or a coloredplastic bottle causes a slightreaction, but a "teacher's"reaction was necessary to causea strong reaction. "Observers"later functioned fully as "teachers."Although mobbingseems to be adaptive,the authorssay "we are far from understandingwhich selectionpressures have moldedthe adaptednessof this behavior."--C. H. Blake. 46. Socialplasticity in the Acorn Woodpecker.P. B. Staceyand C. E. Bock. 1978. Science,202: 1298-1300. Melanerpesformicivorusis one of the most fascinatingof Amer- ican birds. In recentyears we have learned through studiesby the MacRobertsand others that as many as a dozen of thesewhite-eyed woodpeckers maintain a year-roundterri- tory, communallystoring acorns for the winter and communallyrearing young in the summer.I haveoften wonderedwhether its food supplyis sosecure that it doesnot have to wanderin searchof goodacorn crops, in the mannerof its erraticallymigrating con- gener,the Red-headedWoodpecker (M. erythrocephalus).Stacey and Bockhave shown that in Arizonasome Acorn Woodpeckersbehave much more like their easterncousins whereas othersbehave like previouslyreported CaliforniaAcorn Woodpeckers.The former birds nestedin traditionalpairs, did not exhibit cooperativestorage, and, if they scatter- stored sufficientacorns, they might remain as individualsthrough the winter, but oth- erwisemigrated to parts unknown. Even if both birds of a pair returned to the samearea the followingyear, they found different mates,and althoughterritorial boundaries tended to remain similar from year to year, the birds occupyingthe territorieswere often totally changed.The decisionas to whetheror not to remainover winter dependedon the number of acornsstored in the fall. This more usual kind of socialorganization occurred in birds with territoriesadjacent to thoseof communallystoring, highly socialbirds that remained throughout the winter on territory. This contrastin patternswithin a local populationgives one secondthought about the "sociobiology"theories assuming a high degree of geneticdetermination in socialbehavior. Stacey and Bock have produceda mostinteresting study, which bearsfollowing through on the Red-headedWoodpecker as well.--Jack P. Haihnan. 47. Investigationsinto the symmetry concept in the Great Tit (Parus major L.). (Untersuchungenzum Symmetriekonzeptbei Kohhneisen.)M. Menneand E. Curio. 1978. Z. Tierpsychol.,47: 299-322.--In a seriesof discriminationexperiments characteristic of the exhaustivetesting of Eberhard Curio, tits were shownto be able to detectand utilize bilateralsymmetry as a cue for distinguishingshapes. It shouldbe pointed out that not all of the "asymmetric"shapes used actually lack bilateralsymmetry. It is true that they are all asymmetricin the sensethat if bisectedby a verticalline, the two halvesare not identical.However, if the bisectingline is rotated, someof the "asymmetric"figures prove to be bilaterallysymmetric or very nearly so (e.g., in Figure 6 on p. 305, shape6 when turned 90ø appearsbilaterally symmetric, shape 3 is very nearly so, and shape5 is rea- sonablyclose; shape 4, when rotated 45ø, alsoapproaches bilateral symmetry). Further- more, other "asymmetric"figures in fact showmore complexkinds of symmetry(e.g., the parallelogramof shape9). Therefore, the tits have actuallybeen askedto discriminate bilateralsymmetry relative to gravity--perhapsa more difficult distinctionthan the au- thorshad in mind. The ecologicalrelevance of this investigationis, of course,recognition of suchprey shapes as that of a butterflywith wingsspread, which is bilaterally symmetrical when approachedin a plane throughthe bodyaxis and normalto the outspreadwings. I suspectthat a Great Tit can still recognizethe bilateralsymmetry when approachinga butterflyfrom the side,and it seemspossible that "mentalrotation" of someof the figures (making"asymmetric" shapes actually symmetric) might have contributedto difficulties in the tits' discriminationlearning.--Jack P. Haihnan. 48. Behavioraland physiologicaleffects of testosteronepropionate and cyproterone acetatein immature male domesticducks, Anas platyrhynchos. j. Balthazart. 1978. Z. Tierpsychol.,47: 410-421.--Testosteroneinjections had no effect on the frequencyof familiar courtship-partydisplays such as introductoryshake, grunt-whistle, head-up-tail- up, nod-swimand down-up,but did dramaticallyelevate head-flick frequency (an effect 182] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

blockedby cyproterone).Testosterone also elevated frequencies of all the copulatory- associatedactions: head-pumping, mounting, grasping neck feathers and copulation itself, andin somecases cyproterone did notblock the effect.Lastly, testosterone had little effect on molt of head-feathers(the iridescentgreen head probably is an important display componentin wildmallards), but it causedevident development of the penis,development whichwas not inhibitedby cyproterone.--JackP. Hailman.

ECOLOGY (See also 22, 58, 76) 49. Notes on ecology of the Tufted Duck in the mid-stream of Anadyr River. (Materialypo ekologiikhokhlatoi cherneti v sredniemreki Anadyri.)A. Artyukhov.1978. Biol. Nauki, 1978(6): 55-59 (In RussianO--Althoughnot rare in northeastSiberia, the Tufted Duck (Aythyafulvigula)has drawn but few fragmentarynotes locally, and thisadds but few more. It comprisesabout 1% of the area'swaterfowl population. These obser- vationsin 1975-1977 eastof Markov in the Anadyr basinprovided data on incubation and brooding temperaturesthat are limited and inconclusivefor the species.Migratory flocksof about 10 arrivedor departedabout 30 min after sunset.Nuptial displayin late June led to 6-8 eggsin sedgehummocks, hatching in earlyJuly. Eggs39-42 x 53-61 mm had an averageweight of 56 g. During 162 hr of continualrecorded nest occupancy, the females covered the nests 85% of the observed time.--Leon Kelso. 50. Reproductive interdependenceof Pition Jays and pition pines. J. D. Ligon. 1978. Ecol.Monogr. 48(2): 111-126.--Pifion Jays (Gymnorhinuscyanocephalus) are not or- dinary north-temperate-zonepasserine birds, especially in the exceedinglydry San Au- gustinPlains near Magdalena,New Mexico.Ligon documents that in thisarea the reproductive cycle, rather than showingstrict photoperiodcontrol, showsspecific effects dependenton pitionpines (Pinus edulis) which irregularly but synchronouslyproduce a superabundanceof seeds.In particular,Pition Jays breed in the late summerof such "bumper"years and alsobreed up to two monthsearlier than usual(early February rather than late March or April) the followingspring. Laboratorywork showedthat it wasnot the mere presenceof abundantfood that producedthese effects in the PitionJays from Magdalena.Rather, someparticular constituent of the lipid-rich pition seedsaccelerates developmentof the testesof mostbirds during the winter and so, too, the presenceof green conesin the summerprevents regression of the gonads. Ligon alsodiscusses the interdependenceof the PitionJays and pition pinesfrom the pointof viewof the pine trees.He pointsout that the presenceof heavyseed predation on the occasionalnonsynchronous tree will producestrong selection against that tree. On the other hand, treesthat showsynchrony in productionof large seedcrops will not only havesome seeds spared from predation,but alsohave many of thesespared seeds cached by PitionJays in desirablesites for germinationand survival. Severalproblems are alluded to which merit further study. Among these are the precisemechanism whereby the gonadalcycle is affectedby the pition seedsand the degreeof reproductiveisolation between the PitionJays near Magdalenathat are dimor- phicin showingthe effectsdocumented and thejays farther norththat neverbreed in the fall. ClearlyLigon's excellent work and that he citescould be merelythe startof a further fascinatingstudy.--A. John Gatz, Jr. 51. Nonrigorousforaging by robbingegrets. J. A. Kushlan.1978. Ecology,59(4): 649-653.--GreatEgrets (Casmerodius albus) usually hunt by standingalone and seizingfish from the water. In tropicaland subtropicalareas, however, shrinking water areas during the dry seasonconcentrate fish, which can lead to mixedforaging flocks of herons,egrets, and ibises.In suchflocks egrets use two feedingmethods: normal hunting and robbing smaller neighborsof their prey. Althoughhis samplesarc smalland collectedduring a singleweek, Kushlanmakes an interestingcase for believingthat the robbingof neighborsis not profitablefor Great Egrets.Through suchpiracy, their cost:benefitratio is morethan 5 timeshigher than for normal hunting in the samepools. They obtainprey on only 27% of their attempted Vol.n0, Iqo. 2 RecentLiterature [ 183

thefts, comparedwith 58% by normal hunting. Thus they ingestless food per minute when robbing. Kushlaninterprets these data as evidencethat natural selectiondoes not alwayslead to short-termoptimal foraging.In fact, he considersthe theoryof optimalforaging to be "nearlytautological." But why wouldanyone expect short-term behavior to be optimal? Natural selectionoperates on the efficiencyof the phenotype'slifetime reproductivesuccess.An isolatedexamination of a singleaspect may or may not reveal the likelihoodof that success.It occurredto me that, in this case,selection may have favored the tendency to pursue larger-than-averageprey items (stolenprey are significantlylarger, but not to the degree where it compensatesfor reduced capture rates). If this tendencyincreases feedingefficiency during mostof the year, selectionmay not penalizeit for encouraging low-return piracy in flocks. It might be an inconsequentiallyrare side product of an otherwiseadaptive trait. There are sure to be other alternativeexplanations as well. Unfortunately, Kushlandid not tell how long suchinefficient robbing behavior per- sistsin the annualcycle, or if the sameindividuals stay with it for long. In fact, the brevity of his studymakes it quite difficult to know the importanceof the whole phenomenon.- Douglas Mock. 52. Ecological study of the social organization in the great tit, Parus major L. I. Basic structure of the winter flocks. T. Saitou. 1978. Jap. J. Ecol., 28: 199-214.--Here is a superiordescriptive study, rich in detail and implication.The author investedmuch time (1968-1974) and effort (all birds color banded for individual identification) to ex- aminethe Great Tit's wintersocial organization in Japan.The resultswere both interesting and somewhatunexpected. Previous discussions (e.g., Hinde, Behav.Suppl., 2: 1-201, 1952) of wintering tits concludedthat flocks(2-50 birds) were random assemblagesof individuals,frequently changing in membershipand size.Saitou discovered that by mid- October,tits were found in two distinctflock types."Basic" flocks (2-16 birds) were constant in both membershipand size (other than deaths), and centered their activity in boundedgeographical areas (flock centers). "Compound" flocks (4-50 birds)were formed when different basicflocks "joined" in areaswhere their rangesoverlapped. Both the membershipand sizeof compoundflocks fluctuated. It appearsthat an inabilityto identify individualbirds led earlier investigatorsto concludewrongly that compoundflocks were the socialunit in wintering Great Tits. Saitou'sdata on the formation and structureof basicflocks are the mostinteresting aspectof his study. To whet your appetite for more, let me briefly list his conclusions about the "normal" formation of an "average"flock (=4 birds). The nucleusof the flock is a previouslymated pair whichremains in the generalvicinity of their breedingterritory from the previousspring (the flock range includesthe smallerbreeding territory within its boundary).The remainder of the flock are usuallyjuveniles, which, after wandering aboutthe studyarea during late summerand early autumn, havesettled in this particular pair'srange (usuallysome distance from their birthplace,median -- 300 m). Widowedor widower adults usuallyassociate themselves with the basicflock of a survivingpair that bred in an adjacentterritory. Occasionalflocks consist entirely of juveniles,but suchflocks range over unfavorablebreeding habitat that containedno adult breeding territories. Finally, at the end of winter, the basicflocks become mating flocks(113 of 155 resident pairs with matesdrawn from the samewintering flock), with survivingpairs breedingin the samearea in which they wintered. My only disappointmentwith this paper wasits failure to explore mostof the evolutionary implicationsthat emergeso readily from the data. Organizationand presentation of the data make it clear that Saitou has not overlooked them. In fact, some references to forthcomingcompanion papers suggest that suchdiscussions will emerge.Still I cannot resistsome of my own. It appearsplausible to me that the basicwinter socialorganization of the Great Tit resultsfrom competitionfor future breedingsites. Adults remain in the vicinityof their previousterritories; juveniles settle to winter in areasthat offer the "best" chancefor successfulbreeding. They associatewith adultson the bestterritories, "hoping" for a death in the family. In spring, the survivorssort themselvesout and settlein the areas in which they wintered. If this is true, winter flock size (basic)is not necessarily indicativeof the qualityof the winter environment;rather, it probablyreflects the quality 184] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 of an area as a breedingsite. This may be the tip of an iceberg,an indicationthat this is only the first of a seriesof papers.--William M. Shields.

53. Resource partitioning in Finnish woodpeckers. R. H. Alatalo. 1978. Ornis Fenn., 55: 49-59.--The four commonwoodpeckers in southernFinland are Picuscanus, Dendrocoposmajor, D. minor,and Dryocopusmartius. The author appliesa multivariate anal- ysisto data on feedingstations and tree speciesused by thesefour species.His technique (describedin Ecology,58: 900-906, 1977) is called"the componentsof diversitymethod" and providesnonorthogonal factor-analytical axes. The habitatvariables are ordered accordingto their contributionto theseaxes, and the author suggeststhat the ordering reflectsthe ecologicalimportance of differencesamong these variablesthat the woodpecker speciesuse to avoid competition.The multivariatetechnique provided a 33% separationof the woodpeckerspecies. No testsof statisticaldifferences can be made from the axesor the data presentedin this paper. What is the usefulnessof analyticaltechniques that (1) cannotshow the presenceor absenceof competition,(2) cannotbe usedfor testing null hypotheses,and (3) fail to accountfor most of the variancein the data?--Robert B. Payne.

54. Notes on ecology and behavior of the Tufted Puffin. (Zametki po ekologii i povedeniyutoporka.) E. Mikhtaryants.1977. Ornitologiya,13: 127-133. (In Russian.)--In 1969, on the Commander Islands, the Tufted Puffin (Lunda cirrhata), whose briefer local name is "toporka,"was the mostabundant bird species.It wasobliged to sharespace with Glaucous-wingedGulls, (Larusglaucescens) and ParakeetAuklets (Cyclorrhynchus psittacula). It occupiedmost of the spaceon narrow coastalbelts on the isletsexcept for siteswith densegrassy vegetation. By late May mostof the "toporka"had occupiedtheir burrows. Yet friction betweenoccupants continued to mid-June.Aggression relative to other breeding specieson the isletswas slight and rarely in evidence.Line drawingsillustrate the posesand reactionsassumed to challengeand repel auklets intruding into the puffins' nest sites.Figures also illustrate the puffins' distributionon the islets,the mechanicsof their running, hopping and flight takeoffs,and their gathering of nest material. There are alsoa multitude of descriptivedetails of thesebehaviors, in addition to thoseof nest building, incubation,and feeding of young. Excavationof new burrowsoccupied only a few pairs. Most of them took renovatedor old deepenedburrows. The growing young were fed on fish foraged at sea by the adults. The fishesthat were captured (20 cm in length) were carried,several per trip, in the adult'sbill. ForagingKittiwakes (Rissa tridac- tyla) harrassedand robbedthe returning puffins.--Leon Kelso.

55. Contemporarystatus of the ecologicalniche concept.(Sovremennoe sostoyanie kontseptsiiekologicheskoi nishi.) A. Gilyarov.1978. Uspekhi.Sovrem. Biol., 85(3): 431-446. (In Russian.)--After a brief introductorystatement, the topic is discussedunder the headings: history;fundamental properties of a multivariatemodel of the ecologicalniche; homogeneityof nichespace; quantitative estimate of nichescope; quantitative estimate of niche overlap; and niche structureof communities.Interest in the complexitiesof the topic is shownin the 90 bibliographictitles cited, mostof whichare British and American. Certain titlesare more frequentlycited than others,for example"Theoretical ecology. Principlesand application,"R. M. May (editor). 1976.217 p. At presentthe nicheconcept is in a stateof flux. Whereasmost workers grant the "niche"an imprecisedefinition, they generallyconceive of it as a unified entity. Dominatingconsideration is the multidimensionalor multimericniche model proposedby Hutchinson.Major progressin development of the conceptrelates to mathematicalestimation of the proportionsof the niche and extent of overlapping. Of major importance are methods of multidimensionalor multivariatestatistics. Basic to our understandingof the conceptare descriptionsof principlesand mechanismsof competitivepressure, and stabilityof speciesin a particular community.Granting the limited value of definitions,the author suggestshis own defi- nition of the ecologicalniche. "An ecologicalniche is a situationembodying a speciesin a systemof factorsof the environmentrelative to other speciescompetently competitive with it."--Leon Kelso. Vol.50, No. 2 RecentLiterature [ 185

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC ORNITHOLOGY

(See also 14, 22) 56. White-tailed Eagles in Britain and Norway. J. A. Love, M. E. Ball, and I. New- ton. 1978. BritishBirds, 71(11): 475-481.--Threatened in Europe by habitat loss,perse- cution by humankind, and chemicalpollutants that seriouslyaffect breeding success,the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetusalbicilla) is found around northwestNorway and is being reintroduced on the island of Rhum in the west of Scotland. Between 1975-1977, 13 young White-tailedEagles were released.Eight additionalbirds were to be releasedin autumn 1978.--PatriciaA. Gowaty. 57. Evaluation of bird damage to strawberry patches in the Leningrad region. (Otsenkavrednosnosti ptits na zemlyanichnikakhv leningradskoioblasti.) E. Golovanova. 1977. Ornitologiya,13:79-81. (In Russian.)--Censusesand other observationswere taken of birds involved in strawberrydamage in five areasof the Leningrad region in 1969- 1970. Extent of damagebeyond the seasonof crop harvestwas determinedby recorded quantityof berries,and by harvestof the cropsdamaged as expressed in relativeweights. The original weight of damagedfruit wasestimated on the basisof an equivalentamount of undamagedberries. This wasfollowed by calculationsof the overalldamage by various bird speciesto the berry crop. The berry patcheswere attackedmainly by Turduspilaris, Sturnusvulgaris, Corvus frugilegus, and C. corone.The heaviestdamage was by the first named.The author suggeststhat particularpopulations of thesespecies have resorted to specializingon consumptionof cultivatedfruits. At randomlyselected sites, bird damage was 24% in 1969. In the agricultural institute gardensloss of the early fruit was 43%, while at the height of ripening it was38%. The author calculatesthat one Fieldfare(Turdus pilariscould consume 212 g of strawberries,or 94 g of blackcurrants daily.--Leon Kelso.

CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (See also 29, 31, 75, 99) 58. Suburban bird populations in west-centralCalifornia. T. Vale and G. Vale. 1976.J. Biogeography,3: 157-165.--The authorsevaluate the notionthat speciesdiversity and abundancewould change with time as suburbanareas age and woody horticultural plantingsgrow. Spring and summercensuses of bird populationswere made in 17 suburban neighborhoodswhich ranged in age from 1 to 29 years.Ceterisparibus, this sampling proceduremay be usedto studytemporal changesin populationsthat may be responding to an aging suburbanenvironment. Increased species diversity and abundancewere correlated with suburbanage, although most of the increaseoccurred in the initial years following housing construction.When compared to presuburban habitats, residential areas supportedlarger numbers of both speciesand individuals.The suburbanenvironment is thoughtto be more diversethan presuburbiaas a result of horticulturalplantings. This difference is necessarilydependent on the nature of the habitat prior to construction.--Frank R. Moore. 59. Coho salmon (Oncorhynchuskisutch) and Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)as indicators of organochlorinecontamination in Lake Ontario. R. J. Norstrom, D. J. Hal- lett, and R. A. Sonstegard.1978. J. Fish. Res.Board Can., 35(11): 1401-1409.--Coho salmonand Herring Gulls were comparedas indicatorspecies for assessmentof contam- inationof Lake Ontario by compoundsthat includedPCB's, DDE, mirex, and photomirex. Herring Gull eggs showed 50 _+ 10 fold concentrationof the four compoundslisted relative to the alewivesand smelt that the adult birds take as food. The organochlorine levelsin the Herring Gull eggsare often 20 timeshigher than thosein cohosalmon tissue, and thus the Herring Gull is the indicator speciesof choice for recognitionof minor residues.The salmon, however, seemto have relative abundancesof residuesmore nearly like the entire Great Lakes systemthan have the gull eggs.--A. John Gatz, Jr. 60. Noteson "Falco peregrinus"in Argentina. (Algunasconsideraciones sobre Falco peregrinusen nuestropais.) W. G. Vasina. 1975.El Hornero,11(4): 281-284. (In Spanish.)-- The article providesa general discussionof chlorinated hydrocarbons,their effect on 186] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 raptor biology,and stepstaken in the United Statesto reversethe decline in Falcopere- grinuspopulations. In continentalArgentina, F. p. cassinibreeds in semideserthabitats in the Patagonianprecordillera, but breedinghabitat along the Atlantic coastseems to be inadequate due to constanthigh winds, despite higher populationsof potential prey speciesalong the coast.The greatestbreeding populations occur on the MalvinasIslands, Tierra del Fuego,and neighboringislands. Incubation begins in the firstpart of September. The authorsuspects that populationsof F. p. cassinihave neverbeen high in Argentina, but notesa declinein numbersin the last 10-15 yearsat Viamonte on the Atlantic coastand El Bols6n(province of Rio Negro), both stationson the migratoryroute of the subspecies. The author concludeswith a reviewof whatlittle is knownabout F. kreyenborgi,a related species.--RobertB. Waide. 61. The Kirghiz Republic's Game ManagementAdministration. (Kirgizkoe goso- khotkoziaistvo.)A. Kaletskii. 1978. Okhotai okhotnich'ekhoziaistvo, May: 6-7.--Most of this articleis devotedto descriptionof the gamemanagement areas run by the USSR'sKirghiz Republic;at leastone of the areasspecializes in raisinggallinaceous birds for sale,apparently to stockgame managementareas or hunting preservesin other parts of the USSR. Another undertaking of the Kirghiz Republic'sGame Management Administration is sustainingfalconry, which is acquiringa new purpose,namely live~trapping. The ancientart of falconry,widely practiced since the 9th centuryin Russiaand other regionsnow comprisingthe USSR,almost completely died out with the adventof firearms. It has remained relatively popular only on the Black Sea coastof the Caucasus,where EurasianQuail (Coturnixcoturnix) are hunted with Sparrowhawks(Accipter nisus; literally "quail hawk"in Russian),and in the Kirghiz Republic,where hereditaryhunters still use Golden Eagles(Aquila chrysaetos) or falconsor accipters. What can be the value of preservingfalconry, the author asksrhetorically. For one thing, it is thrilling sport ("With Golden Eagles,even wolvescan be hunted"), and it is the leastdestructive method of huntingto boot:as a rule, there are no woundedquarry that escape.(It alsowould be worth maintainingas part of the Kirghiz culture.) Finally, in the Kirghiz gamemanagement areas it hasbecome more than sport:raptors are beingtaught to catch pheasants,quails, and partridges, but to bring them to the hunter alive and uninjured, for they will be releasedlater to stocka new area. Unfortunately, no details are given on how the raptors are trained.--Elizabeth Anderson. 62. Parks, preserves,and nature conservationin Quebec. [Parcs,r•serves et pro- tectionde la natureau Quebec.]Y. Brien,•. Kiendl,and M. LeD6m•zet.1977. Penn Ar Bed, 91:211-221. (In French.)--Analysisof the organization,policy, and managementof Quebec'sparks and nature reservesis presented,based upon a study commissionedby the Office Franco-Quebecoisin October 1977. The authorspoint out confusionof the word park as the singleterm for disparateareas including hunting and fishing reserva- tions,recreation areas, and nature preserves.Brien et al. forthrightly discussthe problems they perceivewith the provincial park systemas compared with the Canadian national parks, the conflictsbetween protection and exploitationpolicies, and the relative failure of organizationson both levelsadequately to provide public contactand nature interpre- tive programming;however, in this latter area the national park systemis well ahead of the provincialsystem. Wildlife managementprograms conducted in the province draw praisefrom the authors,notably the managementof SnowGoose (Chen hyperborea) populations at Cape Tourmente, which has resulted in population increasesfrom 2,000- 200,000 birds during this century.Brien et al. suggest,correctly in this reviewer'sopinion, that relativelysevere man-land problemshave not occurredin Quebec'sparks primarily becausethe populationof the provinceis low. The analysisis interestingreading because the authors, representingthe perspectiveof an intenselydeveloped France, anticipate problemsthat are not felt as immediatelyby the Quebecois.--PaulB. Hamel. 63. The decline of the Thick-billed Murre in Greenland. P. Evans, and G. Water- ston. 1976. Polar Record,18(114): 283-293.--The total breeding population of the Thick- billed Murre (Uria lomvia)in westernGreenland in 1951 was estimatedat 4,000,000 pairs (Salmonsen, 1951). A recent decline is indicated here. With the advent of modern shot- gunsand cheapammunition the huntingtoll is now severe.Massive declines in numbers Vol.50, •o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 187

have been reported for many localities,despite a total ban on harvestingmurres in some localities(e.g., Umanag). The estimatedannual lossof Murres to "commercialdrift nets" was 500,000 in western Greenland. "Our personal observationslead us to concur with Salmonsen'surgent recommendations.Hunters are clearly not observingthe restrictions on shootingclose to the colonies.Disturbance of the colonieshas led to a low breeding successand may be affectingfeeding rates."--Leon Kelso.

PHYSIOLOGY

(See also 11, 19, 48, 50, 83) 64. A comparativestudy of hearing in owls of the family Strigidae. T. Van Dyk. 1973. NetherlandsJ. Zool.,23(2): 131-167. (In English.)--Fornew light on geographical variationand systematicsof owlswe have a comparativestudy of their hearing.Through conditioningexperiments audibility curves were obtainedfor six Tawny Owls(Strix aluco) and six Long-earedOwls (Asiootus). In addition cochlearpotentials for "tone bursts"were recordedfor five Tawny Owlsand four Long-earedOwls. The potentialswere correlated to applied soundlevels. Frequency curves and soundpressure at "constantsize" of coch- lear potentialwere obtained,showing to someextent the owls'frequency response. As to sensitivitythe owlsproved to be "extremelygood hearers," with lowestthresholds of -91 db for the Tawny and -95 db for the Long-earedOwl. The frequencyrange for highest sensitivityis 0.4-7 kHz in Tawny Owls,8 kHz in Long-earedOwls (thresholds for these frequenciesdo not exceed-80 db). This spansfour octavesof very sensitivehearing. Recordsof cochlearresponses corresponded closely to behavioralresponses. In additional experimentscurves were recorded for eight other owl specieswhose ears are lessspe- cializedthan the above,such as in generaAthene and Otus.Their besthearing equaled that in Strixand Asio.Yet they could not perceivefrequencies above 6 kHz.--Leon Kelso. 65. The endocrinology of a natural breeding population of the White-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis). J. C. Wingfieldand D. S. Farner. 1978. Phys- iol. Zool.51: 188-205.--Seldom doesone encountera paper that bridgesthe gap between sophisticatedmolecular biology ("real science"--asmy cell biologistfriends describeit) and the functioningof the organismin the field. The presentpaper is interestingnot only for that reason,but alsobecause it is an excellentexample of work directedby a man at the peak of his field and demonstratesthe incredibleextent to whichthe studyof endo- crinologyof wild birds has been developedby ProfessorFarner and his students.The paper is much too extensiveto be abstractedhere, but basicallydemonstrates the interactions between several hormones (testosterone,dihydrotestosterone, luteinizing hormone,estradiol, estrone, and corticosterone),the avianreproductive tract, and the nesting cycle of both sexesof this finch. This should be required reading for studentsof the biologyof avian reproduction.--C. R. Blem. 66. Light-to-dark transition and dark-time sensitivity: importance for the biolog- icalclock of theHouse Sparrow. S. Binkley.1978. Physiol. Zool•, 51: 272-277.--Activity rhythms in House Sparrows(Passer domesticus) kept in constantbright light generally disappearwithin two weeks.When sparrowsare transferredfrom constantlight to con- stantdark, free-runningcircadian rhythms are exhibitedthat are synchronizedas though the transitionis a normal dusk.This and other linesof evidenceare interpretedas indi- catingthat synchronizationof the circadian"clock" in this speciesis cued by dusk. The measurementof daylengthdepends on the presenceof a sensitiveperiod closeto the light/dark transition.Why the light/dark transitioninstead of dark/light synchronizesthe endogenousoscillation remains an interestingmystery to be solved.--C. R. Blem. 67. Center-surround organization of auditory receptive fields in the owl. E. I. Knudsenand M. Konishi. 1978. Science,202: 778-780.--The experimentalsubjects were Barn Owls (Tytoalba). By methods detailed in other papers the responseto sound of limited receptivefields in the mesencephalicuslateralis dorsalis region of the auditory nucleus was measured.The authorsconclude that each limited field is most responsiveto a sound sourcein a particularposition in front of the owl. Excitinga field inhibitsthe response of surroundingfields. The inhibitedarea wasnot quitesymmetrical about the area of best 188] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 responseand might not be closedabove or belowthe latter area. It appearsthat the Barn Owl doeshave the meansto localizeaccurately in azimuth but doesless well in elevation. The questionremains: how doesthe relativelysimple middle ear apparatusconvey such a detailedpartition of spaceto the brain?--C. H. Blake. 68. The pineal gland: a biological clock in vitro. S. A. Binkley,J. B. Richman, and K. B. Reilly. 1978. Science,202: 1198-1201.--N=acetyltransferaseactivity in cultured pineal glands of chickensin vitro showsa daily rhythm regulated by light and dark that may persistunder constantillumination for severaldays with diminishingamplitude. In- hibitory and stimulatingagents were alsostudied. The rhythm itselfis well known in birds and mammalsand is, to somedegree, inherent.--C. H. Blake. 69. Quantitative investigations of the interactions between courtship and testosterone titers in male Zebra Finches (Taeniopygiaguttata castanotisGould). (Quantitative Untersuchungenzu Wechselbeziehungenzwischen Balzaktivitiit und Testosterontiternbei miinnlichenZebrakinken.) E. Pr6ve. 1978. Z. Tierpsychol.,48:47-67 (In German with Englishsummary.)--The blood plasma titer of the androgenwas measured by radioim- munoassayafter courtshiptests. Testosterone is positivelycorrelated with the amount of solitarysong and the amountof courtshipsong, although I am not certainthe relationship is strictlylinearly as concluded.Sexually experienced birds exhibit an immediate fall in blood hormone after the courtshiptests, but inexperiencedbirds do not; on the other hand, experiencedmales have a higher testosteronebase level. Grouped housing depress- es hormone levelsmarkedly. Of specialinterest is the methodology,which allowsassay of volumes as small as 0.1 mi.--Jack P. Haihnan.

MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY (See 97)

PLUMAGES AND MOLT

(See also 14) 70. The primary moult of the Lapwing. G. F. Appleton and C. D. T. Minton. 1978. Bird Study,25(4): 253-256.--A conventionalstudy of the wing molt of Lapwings(Vanellus vanellus)yields longer estimatesof the duration of primary molt than an earlier studyby Snowand Snow(Bird Study, 23:117-120, 1976) that relied on discardedfeathers collected at restrictedroosting sites.The discrepancybetween the studiesis due in part to sample size,but alsoin part to assumptionsand methodsof the earlier study.This appearsto be a useful, short, methodologicalpaper for those interested in measuring molt in wild birds.--Scott R. Robinson.

ZOOGEOGRAPHY AND DISTRIBUTION

(See also 33, 34, 38, 95, 100) 71. Atlas of the breedingbirds of Franceand ecologicalbiogeography. [Atlas des oiseauxnicheurs de France et biog6ographie6cologique.] J. Blondel and R. Huc. 1978. Alauda,46: 107-130. (In Frenchwith Englishand Germansummaries.)--Using data from the atlasof Europeanbirds, Blondeland Huc describetwo summarystatistics for studying "chorology"(static distributionpatterns) and "areography"(causative factors that have produced observeddistributions). The first statistic,the barycenter(centroid), is a weight- ed average of presence-absencedata grouped on suitablelatitude and longitude scales. Resultsof computationsare the coordinatesof a point representingthe geographiccenter of gravity of the observeddistribution. The secondstatistic, called the distributionindex, is an information-theoreticmeasure of the dispersionof observationsacross the same grouped latitude-longitudedata. Both statisticsare sensitiveto the scaleof grouping the data. The authors use the two statisticsin combinationto advantagein analyzingthe distributionof 10 speciesof Sylvia.They further demonstratethe usefulnessof the barycenter conceptby grouping the speciesby their known centersof origin and plotting barycenters.The resultingplot, Fig. 8, is a mostinteresting depiction of the originsof the Vol.50, No. 2 RecentLiterature [ 189

French avifauna. Blondel and Huc interpret their resultsin terms of tfie historicchanges in the French landscapefrom primarily forested to predominantly rural agricultural. These changeshave primarily not reduced the ranges of forest species,which remain widespread;species associated with human activitieshave increased their ranges,however. Comparisonof mean of distributionindices fbr speciesfbund on Corsicawith that of all Frenchspecies showed, not unexpectedly,that speciesfound on Corsicawere more widespread than average.--Paul B. Hamel. 72. Relationshipsbetween the European and African avifaunas. D. W. Snow. 1978. Bird Study,25(3): 134-148.--Is the avifaunaof Europe more similarto that of sub-Saharan Africa or to that of North America, and how have theseassemblages of speciesinteracted over the pastfew tensof thousandsof years?This paper, after a brief introductionto the taxonomicand practicalproblems facing zoogeographers,addresses these questions by examiningthe species,"superspecies," and speciesgroups shared by thesethree faunal regions.The paperdeals almost exclusively with land birdswith passerinespredominating. The author concludesthat Europe and Africa have exchangedspecies infrequently in the recent past, with Europe providing more speciesthat invaded Africa than vice versa. Although the conclusionsand speculationsare all reasonable,the paper is actuallymore of a summarythan a quantitativepresentation of data. This is in keepingwith its original appearanceas a lectureat the BritishTrust for OrnithologyConference in 1977.--Scott R. Robinson. 73. Origins and movementsof Oystercatcherson the Wash. K. R. Anderson and C. D. T. Minton. 1978. BritishBirds, 71(10): 439-447.--The analysisof 249 recoveries from a ringed populationof 12,000 Oystercatchers(Haematopus ostralegus) on the Wash, Lincolnshire/Norfolkhas shownthat the majority of Oystercatcherscaught on the Wash are of Norwegianorigin (80%) with comparativelyfew from Scotlandand the Faeroes (7.1%) which are the main breeding areasof Oystercatchersin Walesand westEngland (73.5% of recoveries).--PatriciaA. Gowaty. 74. Birds of the coastalzone of Melville Island, 1973-1975. L. S. Maltby. 1978. Can.Field-Nat., 92: 24-29.--Among 38 speciesof birds sightedon Melville Island during the summersof 1973, 1974, and 1975, were the first sightingsof the Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica),Canada Goose(Branta canadensis),White-fronted Goose (Anseralbifrons), White- winged Scoter(Melanitta deglandi), Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), and Semipalmated Sandpiper (C. pusilia).The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenariainterpres), Semipalmated Sandpi- per, and Arctic Tern (Sternaparadisaea) were confirmedas breeding birds. In 1974, the lack of snow-freelowlands prevented most waterfowland shorebirds from nesting.Although failure to nest in adverseseasons has been recordedfor arctic geese,this is the first study to demonstratefailure to nest among other waterfowl and among shorebirds.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 75. Bird use of a Beaufort Sea barrier island in summer. D. Schamel. 1978. Can. Field-Nat., 92: 55-60.--The Yellow-billedLoon (Gaviaadamsii), Arctic Loon (G. arctica), Red-throatedLoon (G. stellata),Common Eider (Somateriamollissimo v-nigra), King Eider (S. spectabilis),Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis), Red Phalarope(Phalaropus fulicarius), Glau- cousGull (Larushyperboreus) and ArcticTern (Sternaparadisaea) summer in large numbers amongthe coastalislands of the BeaufortSea. A numberof other speciesoccur in lesser numbers or infrequently. These data on seasonaluse of the coastalzone can serve as a baselineagainst which to measurethe effectof developmentin the oil fieldsof the Beau- fort Sea(e.g., PrudhoeBay). However,the data were collectedin the summerof 1972, a phenologicallylate summerwith poor reproduction.Hence, as the authorpoints out, additionalbaseline data are needed.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. 76. Speciesnumber and compositionalsimilarity of the Galhpagosflora and avifauna. E. F. Connor and D. Simberloff. 1978. Ecol.Monogr., 48(2): 219-248.--The flora and avifaunaof the Galfipagoshave repeatedlybeen usedto test hypothesesrelated to islandbiology. In the presentinstance, Connor and Simberloffprovide a criticalreview and reanalysisof the publisheddata on numberof plant speciesper islandand on the compositionalsimilarity of islandsin termsof floral listsand bird lists.Regarding plant 190] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 species,they fbund that in an untransformed model the number of collectingtrips per island was a far better predictor of speciesnumber than area (r = 0.97 vs r = 0.52) and alsobetter than elevationor isolation.In a transformed,log-log model they found that log number of collectingtrips and log area were nearly equivalent,although the former was slightly better. They suggestthat previous observedrelations between number of plant speciesand elevation may be primarily an artifact of increasedcollections being made on islandswith the greatestrange in elevation. Connor and Simberloffattack the problemof assessingcompositional similarity by developingtwo new indicescorresponding to two related stochasticnull hypotheses.The first null hypothesisis that the observednnmber of speciesshared by two islandsis no different than wouldbe expectedif two randomsamples were takenfrom a commonpool of speciesequally likely to colonizeboth islands.The secondnull hypothesisrelaxes the last assumptionof equal likelihood of colonizationand substitutesfor each speciesan independentlydetermined relative ability to disperseand persist.Neither hypothesispro- videsan accuratemodel of compositionalsimilarity for birds or plants,but Connor and Simberlofffeel that the fit of the data to the secondhypothesis is sufficientlyclose that stochasticprocesses of dispersaland persistencenonetheless explain to a large degreethe number of speciesshared betweenislands. They feel that the effectsof the physical environmentand speciesinteractions must be secondary. Beyondthe specificresults pertaining to the Galhpagos,this paper is significantin its developmentof new indicesfor faunal (or floral) comparisonin the first placeand in the existenceof null hypothesesfor theseindices in the secondplace. Hopefully the use of theseor analogousindices will becomethe norm in future comparisonsof avifaunas.--A. John Gatz, Jr. 77. Range of the Hooded Crane. (Areal chernogozhuravlya v sveteimeyushchikh- syadannykh.) I. A. Neufeldt. 1978.Ornitologiya, 13'. 56-61. (In Russian.)--Thismeticulous examinationof many publishedreferences to the Hooded Crane (Grusmonacha) evaluates them in light of the mostrecent discoveries, to determinewhich accounts refer to breeding birds, which to nonbreedingvagrants, and which to migrants.The Hooded Crane was consideredan inhabitantof low-lyingmarshes and lakesof the forest-steppeand steppe of southernSiberia. The locationsof sightingsof chickssince the late 1960'shave shown that the species'nesting habitat is actuallylarch-peat moss bogs, which are found in valleys and hollowsin the zoneof perennial(but not eternal)permafrost in the centraltaiga, and partsof the southerntaiga, of easternSiberia and the SovietFar East.Those birds sighted or collected in a different habitat to the north and west of this area of the USSR are, Neufeldt maintains,vagrant nonbreedersthat, like the young of other Gruscranes, stray far from their species'breeding grounds. The first nestwas discovered in 1974, 140 years after the speciesbecame known to science.The nest was in a small dish-shapedvalley along the Bikin River, a tributary of the Ussuri River in the Maritime Territory of the Soviet Far East. The ground cover of this valley is hummocksof sedge (Carex)and of sphagnumand hypnum mosses;two thirds of the sitebears a thin growthof a low-growing larch (Larix dahurica)and of dwarf Arctic birch (Betulanana). This species'known wintering grounds are in Japan (Izumi, on Kyushu Island, and Yashiro, on Honshu Island), and the central part of the Korean peninsula.The total world populationof HoodedCranes may be only about2,300 birds.Migrants pass through Outer Mongolia and northern China, or along the Amur River valley and acrossthe USSR'sMaritime Territory. This otherwiseexcellent summary of information about the Hooded Crane'srange lacks a map. Therefore, it is difficult to visualizethe species'distribution without an intimateknowledge of USSR geography.A non-Sovietmust seek out a large and detailed map and searchfor the unfamiliar namesof remote places. The dearth of ornithologicalinformation from the People'sRepublic of China and the apparent lack of accessby Sovietscientists to what is available,make one wonder if this is not an unavoidablyincomplete picture of the distribution of Grus monacha.Since Hooded Cranes are found in parts of the Soviet Union bordering China, then surely either breeding birds or nonbreedingvagrants, or both, might be found in ecologically suitable regions of China. But Neufeldt does not discussthis; indeed, she quotes no Vol.50, •o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 191

Chinese sources at all. She has no information more recent than from the late 1940's about sightingsin China (these pertain only to migrants), and none from this century about birds wintering on the Yangtze River delta.--Elizabeth Anderson. 78. Winter biogeographyof North AmericanFringillidae (Aves):a numericalanal- ysis. C. E. Bock,J. B. Mitton, and L. W. Lepthien. 1978. Syst.Zool., 27(4): 411-420.- The importanceof winter as a determinant of distribution,abundance, and life history phenomenaof birds has gained increasedrecognition and examinationin recent years. In the context of this paradigm, the accumulateddata from the social-scientificAudubon SocietyChristmas Bird Counts are an invaluablesource of information from which hy- pothesescan be developedand general principlessought. Bock et al. have analyzedsuch count data from the wintersof 1969-1970 to 1971-1972, in an attempt to discernmajor biogeographicpatterns, to compare resultsbased on abundancevs. presence-absencein- formation, and to compare resultsthat include simultaneousabsences as data with those which ignore such"negative matches." In their enthusiasmfor their own approachthey omit referenceto the CooperativeBreeding Bird Survey(Robbins and Van Velzen. Acta Ornithol.,14: 27-48, 1974)which is alsoan avianbiogeographer's goldmine. Four matrices of similaritycoefficients were computedfrom data on 65 speciesgrouped into 59 latitude- longitude blocks. Cluster and principal componentsanalyses in NT-SYS were used to summarizethe information in those matrices.The resultsare exciting. Abundance data are more informative than simple presence-absencedata, reinforcing the idea of bias inherent in ChristmasCounts as bird-listingtournaments. Inclusion of negativematches had no effect on results,suggesting to this reviewerthat Christmascounters do an efficient job of finding virtually everyspecies present! Four major regionsemerge: the north; the middle latitudes,which show some east-west separation; the southwest;and the southeast. Analysisof abundancedata indicatedthat the central plainsare a distinctregion separating middle latitude eastern deciduous f¾om western montane coniferous avifaunas. This relationship had been hypothesizedby earlier biogeographers,but it did not show up in analysisof presence-absencedata. Cluster analyticalresults are much easier to display than thosefrom principal componentsanalysis, although the authors'choice of patterns in their Fig. 4 makesit a very ineffectivefigure. As Bock et al. point out, however,the principal componentsanalysis may be more appropriate to the continuousnature of distributionpatterns, and Fig. 5 showsat least two complex gradients,possibly temperature and moisture,which constitute the next hypothesesfor test.This is a mostinteresting paper, which showsthat a plethora of satisfactorydata on winter bird distributionare available,and that their analysishas onlyjust begun.--Paul B. Hamel.

SYSTEMATICS AND PALEONTOLOGY (See also 26, 97, 100) 79. Hybridization of Herring and Lesser Black-backedGulls in Britain. M o P. Harris, C. Morley, and G. H. Green. 1978. Bird Study,25(3): 161-166.--Three definite hybrids and 12 probable hybrids between Larus argentatusand L. fuscusare described. Nearly all are associatedwith breedingcolonies in whichcross-fostering experiments were conductedin the early and middle 1960's.The existenceof thesehybrids suggeststhat the chickssexually imprinted on their foster parents, and raisesthe questionof how ornithologicalfield experimentsmay inadvertentlyaffect reproductivebehavior, and even gene flow, in wild populations.--ScottR. Robinson. 80. The Muscisaxicola of Argentina. (Los MuscisaxicolaArgentinos) M. J. I. Per- golanide Costa.1975. El Hornero,11(4): 242-254. (In Spanish.)--Thispaper presentsa revisionof the genus MuscisaxicolaLat¾. and D'Orb. (Passeriformes:Tyrannidae) as part of the revision, begun in 1946, of the speciesof Tyrannidae found in Argentina. The author presentsdescriptions of the 10 species(14 forms) of this genusfound in Argentina and includesa key for their identification.Other than a generaldescription of the habits of the genus,little information on the ecologyor behavior of each speciesis included.- Robert B. Waide. 192] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

EVOLUTION AND GENETICS (See also 79, 90) 81. Differential survival in common grackles sprayed with Turgitol. M. C. Baker and S. F. Fox. 1978. Amer.Nat., 112: 675-682.--It wasa good idea. The authorsinge- niouslyrealized that the much publicizedblackbird control programsin Kentuckyand Tennessee(1974-1975 version)offered an opportunityto investigateselection in action much in the manner of the "Bumpuseffect." The control program applied a wetting detergent and water to roostingbirds in order to induce lethal cold stress.The authors planned to comparesurvivors and nonsurvivorsto reinvestigatethe effectsof natural selectionunder conditionsmimicking Bumpus' winter storm. Logisticdifficulties limited their sampleto 16 male CommonGrackle survivors. Using electrophoreticand principal- componentanalyses, they comparedthe genetic(18 loci) and morphometric(24 measurements,including the 9 reportedby Bumpus)characters of the living, with 42 birds that had succumbedto the stress.They discoveredno electrophoreticallydetectable dif- ferencesbetween the living and the dead, with both showingthe low geneticvariability characteristicof many bird species.They found significantmorphological differences which indicated that smaller, lessstocky males survivedbetter (directionalselection for smallbody size).But they alsoreported a "weaktrend" for eliminationof extremes(stabilizingselection). How both directionaland stabilizingselection can simultaneouslyact on the samepopulation through the samecharacters is neverexplained. The bulkof their discussionis negative,dwelling on whywhat might have happened did not happen,rather than on why what happeneddid happen. ! would have preferred lessdiscussion of selection in House Sparrows,which is probablyirrelevant to this study, and more on the authors'intriguing hypothesisthat the increasedsurvivorship of smallerbirds might not have resultedfrom selectiondistinguishing between morphological size differences,but rather as an artifact of the smaller birds' social subordinance. In essence, Baker and Fox suggestthat larger birds might prefer higher roostingpositions, relegating smaller sub- ordinatesto lowerlimbs in the roosttrees, where, by chance, they would be lesssusceptible to the artificial stress.It was a good idea, and it almostfulfills its promise.--William M. Shields. 82. The evolution of parental care in birds. A. Ar and Y. Yom-Tov. 1978. Evolution, 32: 655-669.--Other thanthe slightlymisleading title (insertaltriciality for parentalcare), this is a fairly solidand extensivereview and analysis.Using data gleanedfrom the literature(summarized in a usefulappendix), the authorsperformed a seriesof regression analysesto investigatethe major avian reproductivestrategies. They convincinglydem- onstratethat altricialspecies are generallysmaller bodied and lay smallereggs in smaller clutchesthan their precocialcounterparts. Even when egg sizeoverlapped (at different body sizes),altricial species loaded their eggswith proportionatelymore albumin (water) and lessyolk (protein). "Semiprecocial"species were intermediatein mostof thesechar- acters.The authorsconcluded that the primary differencebetween altriciality and pre- cocialitywas in their pattern of energy investmentin reproduction.They alsoconcluded that the altricialstrategy was both more efficient(energy directly to offspringrather than throughyolk with concomitantlosses) and lessexpensive (smaller gross energy investment in eggsand nonhomeothermicyoung) in termsof the energyinvested in eggsand young. Almost in passing,they noted a correlationbetween reproductive strategy and trophic level, with precociality(considered the ancestralstate) associated with herbivory,and al- tricialityassociated with higher trophic status(e.g., insectivory).They concludedthat, "if food for egg productionwere not a limiting factor,"perhaps the precocialstrategy might have been preserved more widely. In a rather disjointedsection on "selectivepressures" apparently they lost sight of their own conclusions.They invokedr and K selectionas major forcesshaping the evolution of altricial and precocialbird species.They noted that a higher proportion of precocialspecies are found in temperate rather than tropical environments.Although they fail to addressthe issueof whyaltriciality is dominantin bothregions, they do suggest that the relative differencesresult from associateddifferences in environmentalpredict- ability. They concludethat the unpredictabilityof temperateenvironments generates Vol.50, No. 2 RecentLiterature [ 193 more r selection,favoring the relativelylarger clutch sizeof precocialspecies. Similarly, tropicalstability is viewedas generatingK selection,which favorsthe smallerclutches of altricial species.They believe that the observeddistribution of altricial and precocial species,therefore, offers support for more generalmodels of r and K selection.I disagree. They fail to note that such a conclusionis logicallyincompatable with their earlier con- clusionthat precocialityis associatedwith superabundant(and predictable?)resource bas- es. I prefer the implied alternativethat the altricialmode evolvedmany timesfrom pre- cocialityduring shiftsfrom herbivory(especially grazing and browsing,with whichit is still associated)to the lessabundant resourcebases associated with higher trophic levels. The reducedenergy available to individualsfor reproductionafter sucha "niche"shift would favor the energy conservatismof the altricialstrategy. On this view, the difference in the relativeabundance of altricialand precocialspecies in temperateand tropicalre- gions, could result not from differencesin stabilityor predictability,but rather from differences in the relative abundanceof nichesavailable to primary and secondarycon- sumersavailable in the two regions.Only more rigorouspredictions and careful compar- isonscan distinguishbetween these alternatives. This paper is an interestingway station rather than a final destination.--William M. Shields. 83. Dominance, survival and enzyme polymorphism in Dark-eyed Juncos •[unco hyemalis).M. C. Baker and S. F. Fox. 1978. Evolution,32(4): 697-711.--The genetic structureof winterpopulations ofjuncos was investigated using starch gel clcctrophorcsis. Eighteenloci were examined;the rate of polymorphismwas 16.6%. Mild hctcrogcncity existedbetween flocks and years.An averageof 3.33 variantsexisted per polymorphic locus;the averageproportion of hetcrozygousloci per individualwas 0.053. (In keeping with mostother bird speciesthat have bccn studied,juncos appear to be enzymatically lesspolymorphic than other vertebrates.)In four captiveflocks, dominant individuals survivedfood stressbetter than subordinates.Survival could be predictedfrom dominance rank, genotype,weight, sex, bill dimensions,hood color intensity,and tarsallength. The best predictorof dominancewas long wing length. Dominantmembers of flockswere usually hetcrozygousfor L-lcucylglycylglycincpcptidase. Correlations between enzyme polymorphismsand behaviorsare fascinating,and suggestthat wc will eventuallysucceed in uncoveringthe precisemolecular mechanisms regulating behavioral traits.--Elliot J. Trainer. 84. Genetic analysis of eggs from the Common Tern Sterna hirundo. L. V. Bog- danovand L. M. Shclobod.1978. Genetika,14: 609-613. (In English,Plenum translation, p. 421-424.)--Thc authorsconclude that the phcnotypicvariability in egg ground color observedin a tern colonyon an islandin the Gulf of Korf, KamchatkaPeninsula, is best explainedas resultingfrom the segregationof two codominantallclcs (maximum and zero pigment) at each of two (brown and green) unlinkcd color loci. Observedgcnotypc frequenciessupport their interpretation.They suggestthat the "bestadapted" eggs have intermediatecoloration, a conditionwhich would maintain the observedpolymorphism. They also estimatedhcritabilitics (h 2) for egg weight (0.61), length (0.53), width (0.62), and shape(width/length, 0.40), which indicatedsubstantial genetic control and within- populationvariability for thesetraits.--William M. Shields.

FOOD AND FEEDING (See also 22, 30, 38, 43, 46, 51, 54, 57) 85. The Marseilles dump as foraging habitat for the Black-headedGull Larus ridibundus.[La d•charged'ordures m•nag•res de Marseillecornroe habitat d'alimentation de la Mouette rieuse L. r.] P. Isenmann. 1978. Alauda, 46: 131-146. (In French with Englishand Germansummaries.)--Since 1918, the city of Marseilleshas disposed of its householdgarbage at a sitenear the centerof the Camargue.The annualvolume of waste tripled from approximately80,000 tonsin 1960 to 1971.Isenmann studied the relation- 194] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

ship of the dump to the Camarguenesting population of L. ridibundusand to wintering Black-headedGulls in 1971-1975. His resultsindicate that the householdwastes dumped at the siteare an important food sourcefor Black-headedGulls during a large part of the year, particularlyfor winteringindividuals from other parts of Europe.This gull feeds by followingmachinery which spreads the refuse.The superiormobility of thisspecies is a distinctadvantage over the larger Yellow-leggedHerring Gull (L. cachinnans),the only othergull that usesthe dump asforaging habitat in largenumbers. The numberof Black- headed Gulls at the dump peaksduring the winter and reachesa low in late summer. Interestingly,although the speciesbreeds within 25 km of the dump, and adultsfeed there duringthe breedingseason, immature birds comprise less than 10%of individuals feeding at the dump at any time. One important aspectof the study was Isenmann's attemptto estimatethe availablefood and per capitaconsumption of the two gull species on a daily basis.During the winter monthscombined daily consumptionby gullsis very closeto the amountsupplied by the citizensof Marseilles.He suggeststhat this dump has been a significantfactor in the recentincrease in the numberof Black-headedGulls.- Paul B. Hamel. 86. The raptorsof a savannah-forestcontact zone in the Ivory Coast:food habits. [Les rapacesd'une zone de contactsavane-for•t en C6te-d'Ivoire:sp•cialisations alimen- taires.]J.-M. Thiollay. 1978. Alauda,46: 147-170. (In Frenchwith Englishand German summaries.)--In this final report on a long-termstudy of raptors of the Lamto savanna (Alauda,43: 75-102, 387-416, 1975; 44: 275-300, 1976; 45: 197-218, 1977), food habits of 23 speciesare presented.Detailed data were gatheredon the 13 mostcommon species by analysisof stomachcontents, pellets, and direct observationsof the birds.The paper containsa wealth of natural historydata on the species.Thiollay showsthat the several specieshave distinctdiets which are not random samplesof availablefoods, and which constitutea significantamount of predationon thosefoods.--Paul B. Hamel.

87. Selectionand dropping of whelks by Northwestern Crows. R. Zach. 1978. Behaviour,67; 134-148.--The NorthwesternCrow (Corvuscaurinus), which might be only subspecificallydifferent from the CommonCrow (C. brachyrhynchos),is a Pacificcoastal form rangingfrom Washingtonto Alaska.The crowstake whelks(Thais lamellosa) in their bills,fly horizontallyto a particularspot, swoop upward, and repeatedlydrop the gastropod until it breaksopen. Crowstake only the largestof availablewhelks on the beach,a quantitativeobservation confirmed by experimentssupplying different sizes, but theywill eat any sizeremoved from its shell.Zach also provided crows with large whelksthat were madeunusually light by stuffingthe shellswith cottonand unusuallyheavy by stuffing with sand;crows took natural and heavywhelks in preferenceto the light ones.(Because different-sizedshells of the same weight were not tried, we do not know whether the crowsare selectingthe larger whelkson weightalone or weightplus size.)The modal number of drops required to open a shell is two, but the mean is more than four, and with eachfailure the crow takesthe whelk higher for the next drop (on the average).If the crowcannot eat all of the gastropod,it takesthe remainderup and dropsit againto breakmore of the shellfor access.This studyexemplifies a fine interplaybetween quantitative observationand simple field experiments,clearly reported, that is in the best tradition of Tinbergen'sbrand of ethology.--JackP. Hailman. 88. Seasonalfood habits of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) on the Alaksen National Wildlife Area, British Columbia.1978. N. K. Dawe, C. S. Runyah,and R. McKelvey. Can. Field-Nat.,õ2: 151-155.--Not surprisinglya microtine, Townsend'sVole (Microtus townsendii),is the Barn Owl's (Tytoalba) most frequent prey and representsthe largest contributionto the owl'sdietary biomass. The Vagrant Shrew(Sorex vagran.•) is the second mostcommon item in the diet, but rats,especially juvenile Rattus norvegic•s, comprise the secondlargest contribution to the dietary biomass.No seasonalvariation occursin the number of w)lesconsumed, but shrewsare consumedmore frequentlyin summerand rats more frequentlyin winter, presumablywhen other prey animalsare lessavailable. More detaileddata on prey availabilitywould help us tojudge the selectivityof Barn Owls better.--Edward H. Burtt, Jr. Vol.50, •o. 2 RecentLiterature [ 195

SONGS AND VOCALIZATIONS (See also 64, 67) 89. Habituation and song repertoire in the Great Tit. J. R. Krebs. 1976. Behav. Ecol.Sociobiol., 1: 215-277.--Song repertoiresof passefinebirds are thoughtto be an adaptationto reducehabituation in listeners.The problemwith this hypothesisis that habituationdoes not seemto be adaptive,so it is not clearwhy listenersshould habituate. Krebssuggests that songrepertoires may be mechanismsby which residentbirds deceive others,through increasing the apparentdensity of singingbirds--Beau Geste hypothesis (seeKrebs, Anita. Behav., 25: 475-478, 1977).If prospectiveneighbors assess the density of breedingbirds in an area by listeningto songs,then habituationmay be the meansof assessment. Krebslooked at the responseof GreatTits to repeatedplayback of a singlesong type and to playbackof a repertoire.In one experimenthe placeda loudspeakeron the edge of a territory and played either a singlesong or a repertoire of songs.In a secondexperiment songswere played through one of two loudspeakersin different parts of a territory, alternatingbetween speakers on successivetrials. Birds tended to habituateto singlesong playback more rapidly than to repertoires.The overall level of habituation was lower in the secondexperiment, and the difference betweenthe two treatmentswas lessmarked. In addition,two featuresof songrepertoire organization were found to be consistentwith the habituationhypothesis (1) the avoidanceof low recurrenceintervals in switchesbetween song types, and (2) the factthat withinrepertoire variability is asgreat or greater than betweenrepertoire variability.It shouldbe pointedout that Beau Geste is not without its critics (see Slater, Anim. Behar., 26: 304, 1978).--Frank R. Moore. 90. Song dialects as barriers to dispersal in White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys).M. C. Baker and L. R. Mewaldt. 1978. Evolution,32(4): 712-722.--The authors hypothesizethat where two populationswith different song dialectsmeet, gene exchangeacross the boundaryshould be reduced.In an earlier paper they documented geneticdifferences between two contiguouscoastal California populations with different songdialects. Here they presentthe resultsof a banding-recapturestudy on 371 individ- ualswhose fledging and adult breedingsites were known.Dispersal (plotted as number of individualsvs. dispersal distance) followed a gammaprobability distribution. From this they calculatedan expectedvalue_of 26 birds crossingthe dialectboundary; however, only fivebanded birds actually did this.They concludethat songdialects can significantly reduce movementof birds from one populationto another.--Elliot J. Tramer. 91. Individual vocal recognition in the Kittiwake Gull, Rissatridactyla (L.). R. D. Woollet.Z. Tierpsychol.,48: 68-86.--From the title and abstractone expectsthis paper to concernmainly playbackexperiments, but unfortunatelythese are given but a few sen- tences.Mainly the paper is yet another demonstrationthat every bird's voiceis a little different (in this case,principally in the lengthof the "kittiwaak"call and in the harmonic structureof the sounds).The playbackexperiments to 47 pairsapparently show a higher percentageof "reactions"(defined as "some change in ongoingactivity") to the mate'scall than to recordingsof anotherbird. The ethologyhere is quite superficialand much too brieflyreported; we are not told whatthe listenerwas doing when the playbackwas begun, what it did during the playback,what it did afterward, which birds reactedonly to their own mate'scall, which only to a strangebird's call, which to both, what sexesthe birds were, how many testswere repeatson the samepair (at leastthree pairs had to be tested as muchas three times),what stageof the breedingcycle they were in, or evenwhat the real data were (only percentagesare reported). A suggestivebut quite disappointing study.--Jack P. Hailman. 92. Differential responsivenessof Great Tit nestlings,Parus major, to natural auditory stimuli: response-strengthas related to stimulus significanceand previous individual exposure.O. Ryden. 1978. Z. Tierpsychol.,47: 236-253.--The principalfocus was the "seeet"call, which actsas an alarm call to the nestlings.Because it is rare and distinctlydifferent ("opposite" in author'sterms) from the beggingcall, nestlings suppos- 196] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979

edly react stronglyto it. The studyincluded field observationsof soundsin the environment and two fairly complicatedlaboratory conditioning studies.--Jack P. Hailman. 93. Th• significanceof antecedent auditory experiences on later reactions to the 'seeet'alarm-call in Great Tit nestlingParus major. O. Ryden. 1978. Z. Tierpsychol.,47: 396-409.--A pure-tone call at about 8 kHz frequencyand lastingmore than a secondis given by the Great Tit when sightinga predator. (Many passerineshave similar calls.) Hearing the call causesthe nestlingsto ceasevocalizing and becomeimmobile. Ryden investigatedthe role of experiencein this reactionthrough three experiments.(1) In the first experiment, playbacksat the nest-boxwere given in different contextsto each of three broods:just before a parent returned to feed (positiveexperience), together with a simulatedattempt at predation(negative experience) and more-or-lessrandomly (neutral experience).After four daysof suchexperience (at 11-14 daysof age), the nestlings (in pairs) were given three laboratory tests. In the first, the seeet-callwas played after feeding,and it did not causepositive-experience nestlings to ceasebegging in any case, had the same quantitativeeffect on neutral-experiencenestlings as it does on natural broods,and causedan unusuallystrong response in negative-experiencenestlings. Less clear-cutbut similarresults were found in the other twotests. (2) In the secondexperiment playbacksto a nest-boxconsisted of equal amountsand intensitiesof the seeet-calland a portion of Blue Tit (P. caeruleus)song. In subsequenttests the nestlingsstill reactedmore stronglyto the seeet-call,which has great acousticalcontrast with natural ambient sounds. (3) In the third experiment,week-old nestlings were reared for a week in the laboratory with high-pitchedambient sounds, and showeda much weakenedresponse to the seeet- call relativeto the Blue Tit songin subsequenttests. These results,along with the author's previousstudies, suggest that Great Tit nestlingshave an initial tendencyto reactto seeet- calls,that this tendencyis reinforcedby the simplerarity of suchsounds in their acoustic environmentduring development,and that it may be further shapedby specificpositive or negativeexperiences. This is an important study of behavioralontogeny.--Jack P. Hailman.

MISCELLANEOUS 94. Zoological iconography in the West after A.D. 1200. G. E. Hutchinson. 1978. Amer.Sci., 66: 675-684.--In his delightful and erudite style,the author illustratesin word and picture the iconicuses of animals(often birds). Examplesrange from the marginal decorationof religiousmanuscripts to such seriousworks as a manuscriptof Frederick II's De arte venandicum avibus. More modern depictionsare touched upon.--C. H. Blake.

BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS

95. An Annotated Check-list of the Birds of Illinois. H. D. Bohlen. 1978. Ill. State Mus. Pop. ScienceSer., vol. IX. 156 p. $2.00 plus 75e postage,from Ill. StateMuseum Society,Springfield, IL 62706.--A mostimportant feature of any avifaunalwork is that it be current at the time of publication.This annotatedcheck-list, which summarizesthe statusof Illinois birds through 1976, and 1977 in somecases, appeared in late summer 1978, effectivelywithin a year after culminationof the research.Bohlen's major emphasis has been to produce an authoritativework that succinctlydescribes the temporal status, relative abundance,primary habitat, and present documentationfor birds known or reported to occurin Illinois. On thesegrounds his work is an unqualifiedsuccess. In a crisp direct style the major geographicareas in the state are introduced,as are 13 statusand 10 abundancecategories. The abundancecategories are operationallydefined, allowing the reader to developa reasonablyquantitative expectation of the frequencyof occurrence of the variousspecies. Status categories are, if anything, oversplit;e.g., a separatecategory "Stragglers"is defined and the Orange-crownedWarbler (Vermivoracelata) listed as a member of that category.However, straggleris not mentionedin the accountof V. celata. Bohlentreats 416 formsin the list. Thirty-three are relegatedto a hypotheticalstatus and nine are listed as either extinct (4) or extirpated from Illinois (5). An interestingstatistic is the author's statement that 362 forms have been recorded in Illinois since the last work Vol.50, No. 2 RecentLiterature [ 197

on the statusof birds in the state(Smith and Parmalee.1955. I11.State Mus. Pop. Science Ser. vol. IV). The species'accounts include a generaloutline of the datesduring which the speciescan be found in Illinois, and sectionson the Status, Documentation, and Remarks on the habitatsand Illinois records of the species.Status is separatelydefined for each of three geographicalregions of the statewhere appropriate. Documentationis usuallypresented as a specimenexamined by the author; frequentlythe specimensare post-1970. The Remarks sectioncontains brief, sometimestoo terse, commentson the habitats,habits, and other pertinent information about the species.Additional data are presentedon extraordinary records,high counts,and other recent records.These records are documentedby abbreviatedcitations of the original sources.The work containshow- ever, typographicaland other errors.Among thoseI found are the thilure to list Wisconsin as a border state(map, p. 7), listing a specimenof Red-throatedLoon from UMNZ rather than UMMZ; and incorrectlylisting the dates of AmericanBirds in the Literature Cited. By far the greatest value of this work lies in the copiousdocumentation and review of records of each species.Bohlen has produced an authoritative document that will be usefulto the ornithologicalcommunity, particularly in the midwest.Its usefulnessis not limited to that area, however, as I have already had occasionto cite it twice.--Paul B. Hamel. 9õ. The Complete Outfitting and Source Book for Bird Watching. M. Scofield. 1978. The Great OutdoorsTrading Co. (24759 ShorelineHighway, Marshall,CA 94940). 192 p. $6.95.--This book, compiledby the staff of the Trading Co., is organizedinto severalchapters including History of Bird Watching,Basic Equipment (binoculars, scopes, recorders,etc.), Publications,Clubs and Organizations,Best Bet Birding Sites,Tours and Expeditions,Appendices (lists of museumsand zoos,rare bird phone numbers,etc.), and a Glossaryof bird watchingterms. It is unfortunate that the title includesthe word "complete" becauseno listingof any of theseitems could possiblybe complete.As a matter of fact, the selectionsare incompleteand spotty,a fact that shouldbe emphasizedto the buyer. In most of the sections,I spotted significant errors or omissions.Some examples follow, with emphasison Florida partly becausethe state is renowned for its fabulous birdlife and becauseit is one state with which I am especiallyfamiliar. No mention is made of the premiere Florida OrnithologicalSociety, an organizationcomposed chiefly of serious-mindedbirdwatchers, and lessthan half of the activeAudubon Society chapters are mentioned.The booklist is disappointing--"FloridaBird Life" is omitted, asis Gross- man and Hamlet's"Birds of Prey of the World"; only one of the severalguides to Mexican birds is listed; I doubt that any birdwatcher would be interested in the multi-volume, highly technicalFarner and King serieson "Avian Biology."Would you believethat for California, under Zoos and Natural History Museums,no mention is made of the renowned California Academyof Science?Knowledgeable birdwatchers elsewhere in the United States,as I, will probably find errors and omissionsfor their own areas. I am particularlydisappointed in their treatmentof NEBBA and Bird-Banding.NEB- BA is presentedas a strictly Massachusettsorganization and Bird-Bandingreceives scant attention, buried in small print, as it were. Obviously,Bird-Banding and NEBBA should have been listedside-by-side with Auk, Condor,American Birds, and WilsonBulletin. One wonders if the spotty coverageof this book is worthwhile for even the least experiencedbirdwatcher. I supposeit is. But clearly caueatemptor is appropriate.--David W. Johnston. 97. Feeding and Feeding Apparatusin Waders. A Study of Anatomy and Adap- tations in the Charadrii. J. F. K. Burton. 1974. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Cromwell Road, London, England. 150 p.--The author presentsdetailed information on the anatomy of jaws, tongue, and neck devotingspecial attention to the important superfamily Charadrioidea. The adaptive significanceof modificationsencountered is assessedas far as feasible,enhanced by studiesof feeding behavior and diet in five representative species--GoldenPlover (Pl•vialis apricaria), Redshank (Totanu,• rotators), Curlew (Numenius arquata),Dunfin (Eroliaalpina) and Common Snipe (Capellagallinago). These five also receivespecial attention in the anatomicalanalyses. These studiesare folh)wedby sum- 198] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring1979 mariesof availableinformation on feedingbehavior of other membersof the superfamily. Environmentalforces presumed to act on the skulland jaws during feedingare analyzed, and essentialfeatures of the morphologyand mechanicsof the skull are reviewedand discussed.Succeeding sections describe jaw musculature,tongue, the hyoid skeletonand hyoid musculature,salivary glands, epidermal features, and cervicalmuscles inserting on the skull. Particularattention is given to orientationand positionsof raphesand aponeu- roses.Quantitative data on relative tongue and bill lengthsare presented.Structural de- scriptionsaccompany functional discussions throughout the monograph.The specificfea- tures of the Charadrii as a whole are reviewedfrom adaptiveand taxonomicstandpoints. The concludingdiscussion considers evolutionary implications involved in interpreting the phylogeneticsignificance of anatomicalstudies. This trenchantmonograph well covers its world literature includinga fair numberof slaviccontributions.--Leon Kelso. 98. A Guide to EasternHawk Watching.D. S. Heintzelman.1976. The Pennsyl- vaniaState University Press (Keystone Books), University Park, 99 p. Cloth $8.95; Paper $5.95. The audiencefor this work is implied to be birders,and the author states:"There is still a need for a good field guide to hawk watching."It is basically"a where to go" (to seelarge numbersof hawks)and "how to do it" (hawk identification)book. The former material occupiesabout 60 pages(much of this appearsin "Feathersin the wind." J. J. Brett, and A. C. Nagy. 1973. Hawk MountainSanctuary Association, Kempton, Penn.) whereasthe latter informationis coveredin about 30 pagesand is only readily available in Heintzelman'sother book "Autumn Hawk Flights:The migrationsin easternNorth America,"(1975. RutgersUniversity Press). The inclusionof speciesof kites,the caracara, and some of the "Rarer Buteos"(e.g., Swainsoh'sHawk) seem incongruouswith the in- tendedaudience of the bookand can only add to the confusionof a beginningbirdwatch- er. Accordingto the table of contents,major sectiontitles and the number of pages devotedto eachis as follows:Hawk Identification (8), Plates(black-and-white photographs and line drawings)(37), Field Equipment (2), The Migration Seasons(3), Mechanicsof Hawk Flight (4), The Hawk Lookouts(29). One shortparagraph is devotedto the general topic of hawk identification;thus the topic is really not discussed.It would seemthat a brief discussionof major taxonomicgroups (scientific taxa need not be mentioned)would be in order even in a strictfield book: e.g., the woodlandhawks, falcons, buteos, etc.; their general ecology;sexual dimorphism; and characteristicflight patterns.This could serve to whet the appetiteof even the rankestamateur to learn somethingmore than the name of the hawk. Species'accounts include the followinginformation: Wingspread, Field Recognition, Flight Style,Spring Migration, Autumn Migration.Some good information appears here and there but it is not consistent;for example,only about one fourth of the sizedescrip- tions relate to bird speciesthat are apt to be familiar to a birder, i.e., the Peregrineis "crow-sized,"the American Kestrel is "robin-sized"(how about Mourning Dove-sized?), etc. Finally, no attempt is made to facilitatethe users'linking up with the information in this sectionwith the photographsin the next section;for example,no pagenumbers are given indicatingwhere the hawk being discussedmay be seen in photographicform. Similarlyno pagenumber(s) appear with the photographslinking them with discussion. Many of the photographsare good to excellentbut they couldhave been usedmuch better if the users'attention was called to field characters,especially those that tend to be species-specific. Discussionof field equipmentis extremely scanty. In discussingbinoculars no mention is made of the field of view, coatedoptics, light-gathering capacity, and apparent move- ment,all very importanttopics relative to hawk-watching.It is suggestedthat a telescope is usefulunder "dim light conditions,"which is misleadingbecause you get relativelyless light througha telescopedue to itsless favorable objective-to-ocular diameter ratio. The camerais mentionedonly peripherallyin a brief discussionof "other equipment." The MigrationSeasons and Mechanicsof Hawk Flight sectionsare well done,full of contentin layman'sterms, and are (to this reviewer)the best of the book. The Hawk Lookoutsection is thoroughwith a coupleof notableexceptions: the Referencesare brief to the point of excludingessential information (author and title), and "informationcan Vol.50, No. • RecentLiterature [ 199 be securedin the headquartersand informationcenter" does not seemto coveradequately what might be obtained at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuarynature interpretation center. The map of major easternhawk-watching sites (page 65) would be muchmore useful if the siteswere numberedand keyedto the descriptionin the text and much more easily accessedif placedat the very beginningof that sectionrather than the fourth pageinto it. Oversightssuch as the OntarioBird Bandingin the preface and John Haugh's ("A studyof hawk migrationin easternNorth America."1972. Search,Cornell U. Ag. Exp. Sta. 2(16): 1-60) studyseems to be substantial. In summary, although the book containsmuch good information, it is not easily accessibleand falls short of what is neededfor a beginninghawk-watcher. Other than the contentsin the Hawk Lookout sectionmost of the information and considerablymore can be obtained from Brett and Nagy'swork mentionedearlier. I agree with the author's statementthat "there still is need for a good field guide to hawk-watching."--RichardJ. Clark. 99. Owls by Day and Night. H. Tyler and D. Phillips. 1977. Naturegraph Books. 987 Happy Camp,California 96039. 208 p. $10.95,cloth. $6.95, paper.--Here is further evidenceof the fascinationthat owlshold over today'snature loversafter agesof disfavor. Perhapssuch booksas this enhancetheir presentfavored status.This text coversthe 18 speciesfound in the United Statesand Canada. It is in a stylethat readerscan understand and enjoy. The distinctivepersonalities and habitsof speciesare emphasized. The book is helpful as well as intriguing. There are a number of tables that list distinctionsbetween species, where each speciesis found, and their major calls,supple- mented with range maps.One unique feature is a chapter on the viewsand traditionsof American Indians regarding owls. Their ecologyis approachedwith respectto their rangesand habitats,particularly in relation to other owlsand birds. In an "afterword" the authorsreflect on man-owlrelationships, and make specificrecommendations on what stepsmight be taken to ensurea future for owls.--Leon Kelso. 100. Working Bibliography of Owls of, the World. With summaries of current taxonomy and distributional status. R. J. Clark, D. G. Smith, and L. H. Kelso. 1978. National Wildlife Federation,Scientific/Technical Series, No. 1. $9.00 (Order from Raptor Information Center, National Wildlife Federation, 1412 SixteenthSt., N.W., Washington, DC 20036).--The title of this work is self-explanatory.For anyoneinterested in any feature of owl biology,this publicationis a "must."Introductory chapters deal with taxonomy and distribution,but the masterlist of citations(6,590!) is absolutelyindispensible. To this reviewer,a subsequentchapte.r is evenmore valuable: it dealswith a list(for eachgenus) referring to citationsrelating to subjectssuch as anatomy,behavior, distribution, ecology, physiology,taxonomy, and conservation.Despite the herculean efforts expended in amassingthis particularbibliography, one might anticipateomissions, oversights, or errors (I personallyhave three); so the authorsare already accumulatingaddenda for a future updating.--David W. Johnston. 101. The World of Roger Tory Peterson.J. C. Devlin and G. Naismith. 1977. New York, Times Books.266 p., 29 numberedblack-and-white photos, 7 coloredplates, nu- meroustext drawings(by RTP). Cloth. $14.95.--This bookabout a fascinating,important, and historicfigure of American natural history reflectspoorly on the publisherand the authors, and certainlyshould not becomethe definitive biographyof my friend, Roger Peterson.As other reviewershave said before, the book tellsvery little about RTP•what makeshim tick so to speak. Instead we are inflicted for the most part with a shallow "LadiesMagazine" type story--gossipy,glossing over Peterson'splace in conservationand ornithology,and dwellinginstead on personaldetails about divorce, idiosyncracies, foibles, and trivial events.Padding is apparently deliberate. On page 132 we learn that James Fisher wore a 67/8hat. Most of page 157 is occupiedby a quote of Roger Caras' CBS broadcastdefense of birdwatchingby elderlywomen. The reporting is vague,suggesting that the authorsdid not really care to mastereven suchthings as placeand organization names.A fine book by Petersonand JamesFisher is mentionedas "A (sic,read The) World of Birds":a popularmigratory bird observationlocality as "Mount (sic, read Point) Pelee"; and the Wilson and Cooper Ornithologicalsocieties as "Clubs"(which they stoppedbeing 200] RecentLiterature Bird-Banding Spring 1979 known as long ago). Much carelesswriting makesus re-read to understand:"Roger has seen over 100 birds that are on the A.O.U. checklist, but he has not seen them within our continentallimits" (p. 160). "Roger'scontact, of course,atLife wasJoseph Kastner" (p. 117). There are severalreferences to "birdsand animals,"an error so persistentlyand curiously characteristicof journalists.An often unfeelingand sometimestasteless treatment of deli- cateor tragicfacts creeps in time and again.As a resultMildred and Barbara(Mrs. Peterson numbers1 and 2) are at timesroughed up a bit. And poorJames Fisher receives a whollyun- calledfor posthumoussnipe: Fisher and Petersonare drivingon a field trip, Petersonat the wheel. Petersonmakes a driving error and they argue the issues."'Well, have it your way,' finalizedJames. 'I think you're a bloody bad driver.' (But it was Fisher who was killed driving in Englandin 1970.)"So there, smartypants, is the feelingone getsfrom suchan observation. The accountof Roger'sboyhood is informativeand displaysthe only consistentevi- dence of sensitivityand scholarshipby the authors. The color plates are attractivebut lightweightin the league they occupyas comparedto Peterson'sfield guide illustrations, which are among the bestof the genre. Many peopleare quoted in an attempt to show that Petersonis regardedas one of the great nature artists;but thosewho seememphatic about it also seemto be thoseleast qualified to judge, whereasthose most qualifiedto judge (suchas Peter Scottand Guy Coheleach)skirt the matter while complimenting Petersonon the influence he has had in the developmentof nature art. This book is billed as "an authorizedbiography." But I simply will not believethat Roger read it in manuscript.If he had, I think it would not have been publishedas is.- John William Hardy.

NOTES AND NEWS

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION I am attemptingto constructa map of peak Ruby-throatedHummingbird migration times in easternNorth America which I will relate to geographictrends in flower- ing times of major ruby-throat food plants. I would appreciateany observationalor netting data on ruby-throat abundancesover the spring or fall migration seasonsthat would help me pinpoint the time of peak migration for that area. Data for several yearsat one site are especiallyuseful but not essential.--RoBER•rBERTIN, Vivarium Bldg., Wrightand Healy Streets,Champaign, IL 61820.

Symposiumon Integrated Study of Bird Populations--A symposiumwill be held at Wageningen (The Netherlands)from 17-21 September 1979 on the occasionof the 25th anniversaryof The Institute for EcologicalResearch of the Royal Netherlands Academyof Arts and Sciences.Further information:I.A.C., Postbus88, 6700 AB Wagen- ingen,The Netherlands. DUES CHANGES

At the NEBBA Council Meeting on 11 May 1979, it was decided to raise dues and subscriptionrates to Bird-Bandingeffective with paymentof 1980 dues.This decisionwas madebecause annual deficits have occurred in the operatingbudget of NEBBA. The new rates will be: Student-- $ 6.00 Institutionalsubscriptions-- $ 10.00 Individual-- 8.00 Contributing-- 15.00 or more Family-- 10.00 Life-- 200.00 (2 or more in the samefamily) (may be paid in four equal pay- mentsover a one-yearperiod)

Until I September1979, life membershipswill continueto be $150.00. Memberswho can are urged to take advantageof the lower life membershiprate now, thus saving $5O.OO.