RECENT LITERATURE Editedby Edward H. Burtt, Jr.

BANDING AND LONGEVITY (see also 15, 37) 1. Ring loss from Canada Geese.C. B. Thomas. 1979. Study 26:270-271.- Rate of lossfrom a population of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)marked with metal and engravedplastic rings in Yorkshireand Scotlandwas 2.3% per annum for metal and 1.7% for plasticrings. However the author presentsdata for only four yearsand assumes lossto be linear with time. Double lossis justifiably ignored, but for a semi-tamespecies it is worth notingthat both maybe removedfor souvenirsor during veterinarytreatment. Neither the pattern of metal ring used (both a clip and a heavier butt are specifiedfor CanadaGeese) nor the material(both monel and incoloywere in useat the time) is given, and the methodof closureis not mentioned(overlap of butt ringsprevents gaping from springback).--P.J. Belman. 2. Lossof weight and legibility of bird rings. M.P. Harris. 1980. Ringing& Migr. 3:41-48.--This is an historicalperspective that chroniclesring wear on the aluminum bandsin generaluse in Britain until 1965which, despite their shortuseful life on marine ,are still widely used in many countrieson groundsof cost. Monel, although an improvement, did not solve the wear problem for several speciesand has now been supersededby incoloywhich, while offering the required performance,is expensiveand likely to be replacedeventually in Britain by an appropriate grade of stainlesssteel.--P. j. Belman. 3. Report on bird-ringing for 1978. R. Spencerand R. Hudson. 1979. Ringing& Migr. 2:161-208.--This forty-secondreport on ringingin Britainand Ireland is the third to appear in revisedformat in thisjournal. The first 33 were publishedin BritishBirds and the next six as supplementsto Bird Study.With the move to Ringingand Migration have come two major changes:(1) the more carefully written introductiop attemptsto compareyear to year fluctuationsin the ringing totalswith ringing effort and abnormal weatherto assesspopulation change and, (2) the recoverysection provides species sum- maries with tablesof recoveriesfi•r all speciespublished at 5-year intervals.Maps and a temporal breakdown of recoveriesfor selectedspecies are occasionallypublished. The 1976 report contained the first 5-year summariesand was the same length as earlier reports,64 pages.The lasttwo are condensedto 48 pageswith the omissionof the 5-year tableswhile the number of maps is doubled.--P. J. Belman.

MIGRATION, ORIENTATION, AND HOMING (see also 55, 59, 67, 89) 4. The significanceof the LesserBlack-backed Gull to models of . R. R. Baker. 1980.Bird Study27:41-50.--Recoveries of deadLarusfuscus originally band- ed in Britain showthat adultshave shiftedtheir winter range steadilynorthward during the last 15 years.This flexibilityof migration routesand seasonalranges seems contra- dictor)'to the relativelyfixed, internalprograms predicted by clock-and-compassand goal- area modelsof bird navigation,but is consistentwith an exploratorymodel, wherein youngbirds learn migratoryroutes and rangespartly through individualwandering and partly through associationwith or observationof experiencedadults. One intriguingob- servationthat supportssuch socially mediated learning is that adultsbegan the southward migrationin fall with youngbirds, but turned backnorth in midwinterto leavethe young in southernwinter ranges.Thus adults have showna northward shift in winter distribution,but first-yearbirds have retained earlier migratory patterns.--ScottR. Rob- inson. 5. An introductionto radar .[Einfuhr/ing in die Radarornithologie].J. Jellmann.1979. Gebiet der Vogellrunde6:249-261 .--This is an excellentintroduction to 72 Vol.•2, No. 1 RecentLiterature [73 the basicconcepts of radars, and how radars can be usedin ornithologicalresearch. The author covershow range information is obtainedand how bird echoesappear on both A- scope(oscilloscope) and PPI (Plan-Position-Indicator)displays. The discussionof the func- tional aspectsis limited to a blockdiagram that is describedin non-technicalterms. The three generalcategories of radar (3 cm, 10 cm, and 23 cm wavelength)are discussedin regardsto ornithologicalresearch.--Robert C. Beason. 6. The migration of coastalwaders from the Palaearcticacross Africa. R. J. Dow- sett. 1980. Gerfaut 70:3-35.--Many speciesthat winter on the coastin Africa alsooccur inland during migration,especially in fall migration.Generally there are no comparative data to indicatethe proportionof a speciesthat migratesacross Africa, but numberscited suggesta large proportionof somespecies migrate acrossland. Seasonaldifferences are explainedby suggestingthat the fall birds are in poor conditionand feed as they move southacross inland areas,whereas spring birds may be in good conditionto fly thousands of kilometerson their flights and so may overtly mostof Africa. Fifteen speciesare consideredand their seasonalrecords inland are documented. Maps are included for Terek Sandpiper (Xenuscb•ereus), Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria i,•terpres),and Sanderling(Calidris alba). Species observed most frequently in large num- bers inland were the Sanderlingand Black-belliedPlover (Pluvialissquatarola). All inland or coastalobservations of Dunlin (Calidrisalpina) were rejected by Dowsett as probable misidentificationsof Curlew Sandpiper (Calidrisferrugi•ea) or Broad-billed Sandpiper ( Limicolafalci•ellus). Curiously only the waders (Haematopodidae, Charadriidae, Scolopacidae)which breed in the Palaearcticand winter more or lessexclusively on the African coastsare considered.The Curle•' Sandpiper, which is the most abundant coastalwader in South Africa, is not discussedbecause some of the inland recordsare apparently wintering recordsand not in passage.The arbitrary exclusionof half of the speciesof Palaearctic waderswintering at all in inland areasreduces the interestin the paper. It is alsodifficult to know to what extent the records discussed reflect the abundance of the birds or of observers.--RobertB. Payne. 7. On the spring migrationof palaearcticbirds acrossthe westernSahara. [Zum Frfihjahrszugpal•iarktischer Vogel fiber die westlicheSahara.] W. Haasand P. Beck.1979. J. Ornithol. 120:237-246.--Exhaustedor dead migrantsand killed controlswere analyzed for fat and •vatercontent and for chlorinatedhydrocarbons. Small speciesfailed to cross the Saharabecause of depletedfat stores,while larger migrantsfailed becauseof depleted water stores.Pesticides did not appearto influencemortality.--Robert C. Beason.

POPULATION DYNAMICS (see also 3, 17, 23, 37, 50) 8. Mortality rates of the Great Tit (Parusmajor) in a northern population. M. Orell and M. Ojanen. 1979. Ardea 67:130-133.--Annual mortalityrates of Great Tits were estimatedon the basisof 4002 fledglingsringed in northernFinland between 1968-1977. From these, 163 were recaptured in the area as breedersin later years and 44 were recoveredafter their first January of life. Males showeda lower mortality rate (48.7- 54.9%) than did females(51.7-55.2%) althoughdifference between sexes seemed smaller than in populationsfarther south.Overall mortality of adultsis perhapsslightly greater than in populationsof central and westernEurope. Mortality amongyoung birds up to their first breedingwas 78.1%.•. M. White. 9. Hobby studies in England and Germany. D. Fiuczynskiand D. Nethersole- Thompson. 1980. Br. Birds 73:275-295.--Although highly successfulin England, the Hobby (Falcosubbuteo) is endangeredin Germany.This articleexemplifies one of the main strengthsof BritishBirds from my point of view. Data on breedinghabitats, numbers of breeding individuals,breeding density and spacing,descriptions of nest and nest-trees, breedingphenology, and clutchsize are conciselypresented for populationsin England and Germany. The possibilitythat pesticidecontamination may be the causeof the Hobby'sendangered status is discussed.Suggestions for further study are given and in- 74] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981 clude precisestudies of populationstatus, breeding biology, and conservation.--Patricia Adair Gowaty. 10. Clutch size, breeding success,and parental survival in the Tree (Ir- idoprocnebi½olor). D. De Steven.1980. Evolution34:278-291.--De Stevenoffers one of the better conceivedand more intriguing "twinning"experiments reported to date. Her studywas designed to explicitlytest Lack's "maximal" clutch size hypothesis that in nidic- olousbirds clutchsize should correspond to the maximumnumber of youngparents can raisegiven current food limitations,as well as recentmodifications that predictan "op- timal" clutch smallerthan the mostproductive owing to the negativefeedback of larger broodson subsequentparental survivorship. During her study,more young were fledged from experimentallyenlarged broods than from controls.Brood enlargementincreased variabilityin nestlinggrowth, but wasnot associatedwith any differencein mean fledging weight.Most tellingly, the return rate of fledglingsas first-time breeders (and by inference survivorship)was independent of brood size.Not only wasthe natural modal clutchnot the mostproductive, but eventhe mostproductive natural clutch was less productive than the experimentallyenlarged broods. Such data unequivocallyfalsify Lack'smaximal, or food-limited,clutch size hypothesis for the .To unsettlematters further, De Stevendemonstrated that femalesraising enlarged broods did not suffer disproportionate weight lossor decreasedsurvivorship as measuredby returns. In fact, for older females the experimentalshad a higher return rate (63.3%) than did controls(53.3%). Thesedata are inconsistentwith an "optimal"clutch that balancesthe benefitsof increasedfecundity againstthe costsof decreasedparental survivorship. Having effectivelyeliminated the two hypothesespossessing "most favored" status, De Stevenfaced the question,what is left? She mentionedthe possibilityof increased predationon larger broodsthat tend to remain in the nestlonger before fledging.There wasa lengthenednestling period in the larger broods,though her designlimited possi- bilities for predation. Her most favored alternativeappears to be an almost intuitive mistrustof her own data. She exploresin detail the tremendouseffort and extreme dif- ficultythat wouldmark an unequivocaldemonstration of numericallysmall but biologically significantdifferences in survivorshipassociated with differencesin brood size.Why is it that such ad hocmistrust of data only blossomswhen a favoredhypothesis is falsified?And why is Wynne Edwardsnowhere mentioned by De Steven,though her data are entirely consistentwith his hypothesisthat the favored clutchsize is lessthan individualproduc- tivity would permit? His group-selectedbrood sizeis expectedto balancemortality and so regulatepopulation size at an optimum for the group, rather than reflectingindividual benefits.While the older theoreticalmodels of group selectionmay be wanting,newer less onerousones are constantlybeing developed (e.g., Wilson,Am. Nat. 111:157-185, 1977). And whether right or wrong, when the data suggesta possibility,should we not at least admit it? As with any goodresearch, De Steven'sstimulating paper raisesmore questions than it attemptsto answer.--William M. Shields. 11. Populationdynamics of Indigo Buntingsand the evolutionof avian polygyny. M. Careyand V. Nolan,Jr. 1979. Evolution33:1180-1192.--The authorsprovide a clear expositionof the main argumentsof the Verner-Willson-Orians(VWO) model for the evolutionof avian polygynyand straightforwardtests of many of its predictions.Consid- eration of the model'spremises and the biologyof the Indigo Bunting (Passerinacyanea), led them to predict the latter would occasionallybe polygynous.Their subsequentobser- vation, that 10% of the males in their area had 2 mates while many others remained unmated,confirmed the prediction.Since polygynous females were as productiveas mo- nogamousfemales (especially when the successof secondaryfemales was compared with that of monogamousfemales whose males had previouslybeen rejectedby the secondary females),and sincehabitat quality differences were suggestedby differencesin datesof first settlementand productivityof young,they concludedtheir data were more consistent with the VWO modelthan with explanationsbased on biasedsex ratios, sexual bimaturism, or on absolute food abundance.--William M. Shields. 12. Factorsinfluencing Emperor Penguin mortality at CapeCrozier and Beaufort Island, Antarctica.F. S. Todd. 1980.Gerfaut 70:37-49.--Emperior Penguins(Aptenodytes Vol.•9, •o. 1 RecentLiterature [75 forsteri)breed in traditionalsites which are usuallyon seaice aroundthe coastof the Antarctic.Males incubatethe egg during the Antarcticwinter, fastingfor 60-64 days whilekeeping the eggwarm. Females return aboutthe time the chickshatch and relieve the emaciatedmales who then feed at sea. The Cape Crozier population is of special interest becauseit was first recorded in 1902 and has been visited periodicallysince. Populationsize has varied and is now only a fifth of whatit was20 yearsago. Chick and egg mortalitywas high with more than half of all broodslost to weather.Adults also sufferedhigh mortalitydue bothto the extremeweather at thissouthernmost colony and to fallingrocks and rockslides--sea ice is apparentlya safernesting site than below rocky cliffs and is closerto the feedingsites as well. Penguinsat BeaufortIsland are doing alrightbut here alsobad weatherkilled numbers of eggsand chicks.--RobertB. Payne. 13. Population dynamics in the Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca at subarctic Kilpisj'hrvi,Finnish Lapland. A. JSrvinen.1980. Ornis Fenn.57:17-25.--During a 14- year studynear the northernlimit of the species'range, population density of breeding pairsusing nest boxes varied greatly, with the maximumdensity (57 pairs)being 7 times the minimum.Nearly all clutcheswere begun in a 2.5-weekperiod during the leatingof the birches.Clutch size averaged 5.4, varyinglittle from year to year.This is the smallest clutchsize known in populationsof the species.Breeding success varied from year to year and averaged3.5 fledglingsper nest.Most losses were due to failureof eggsor youngto survivecold, rainy weather. Only 1% of the nestswere lost to predators.Given the mor- talityof adultsin otherpopulations, the localproduction of youngflycatchers appears too low to maintaina stablepopulation (but as noted the populationsize was not stable),so the localpopulation numbers probably depend in part on immigration.One suchimmi- grant wasnoted--a femaleborn 100 km to the SW. The yearlyvariation in the number of breedingpairs, the low clutchsize, and apparentlack of productionof enoughyoung to accountfor mortalityof the adults,as well as the observedimportance of weatheron nestingsuccess, indicate that the populationis ecologicallymarginal.--R. B. Payne.

NESTING AND REPRODUCTION (see also 9, 10, 12, 13, 31, 32, 46, 51, 64, 70) 14. Breedingbiology of the Pied and Yellow wagtails.C. F. Masonand F. Lyczyn- ski. 1980. Bird Study 27:1-10.--A straightforwardreport of reproductionin Motacilla albaand M. flava, thispaper summarizes data from nestrecord cards collected throughout the British Isles.The analysisaddresses nesting habitats, breeding seasons, clutch sizes, and nestfailure due to egg or nestlingmortality. Yellow Wagtails laid slightlymore eggs per clutchon average,and experiencedsignificantly higher hatching success and higher nestlingmortality than PiedWagtails; overall the proportionof eggsthat producedfledg- lingswas about the samein the two species.--ScottR. Robinson. 15. Temporal spacingof broods,brood size, and parental care in SongSparrows (Melospizamelodia). J. N.M. Smith and D. A. Roff. 1980. Can. J. Zool. 58:1007-1015.- From 1975to 1978,Smith studied the breedingbiology of a small(30-65 breedingpairs) but densepopulation of SongSparrows living on MandarteIsland, British Columbia. All birdscould be identifiedas individuals by colorbands; hatchlings were color-banded after 6 d. Modalclutch size was 4 and modalnumber of clutcheswas 2, althoughthree broods were common.Stepwise multiple regression identified brood sizeat fledgling(12-16 d) and the numberof previouslysuccessful nestings to be the bestpredictors of interbrood interval.Pairs producing 3 broodstended to have lostsome eggs in an early brood and to be experienced.Smith and Roff note the need for experimentalbrood sizemanipu- lationsand for the developmentof a usefulmeasure of resourcesavailable to the birds in order to enhancethe interpretationof their results.--A.John Gatz,Jr. 16. Breeding successof the Black-crownedNight Heron in the St. LawrenceEs- tuary. J. Tremblay and L. N. Ellison.1980. Can. J. Zool. 58:1259-1263.--Reported here are data on reproductiveoutput of Nycticoraxnycticorax for 2 yr on eachof 2 islandsin Quebec.An averageclutch size of 3.9-4.2 eggsresulted in 2.1-3.0 fledgedyoung per 76] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981 successfulnest. Major losseswere apparently caused by predationat the egg stageand by intrabroodcompetition for food at the nestlingstage. Residues of toxic chemicalswere low and apparentlyhad no detrimentaleffect on reproduction.Data are comparedwith earlier studies.--A.John Gatz, Jr. 17. Spacingand timing in the nestingecology of a tropical blackbird: comparison of populations in different environments. R. H. Wiley and M. S. Wiley. 1980. Ecol. Monogr. 50:153-178.--Wiley and Wiley provide a detailed accountof the breedingbi- ology of the Yellow-hoodedBlackbird (Agelaius icterocephalus) at three sitesin northern SouthAmerica. Extended nesting occurs during the rainy monthsat 2 moderatelyseasonal sitesstudied, Trinidad and Surinam, whereasall eggs were laid within a 3-wk period at an extremelyseasonal site, the llanosbajos in Venezuela.Data on layingdates, clutch size, massof young,frequency of feedingtrips, and survivalof youngare provided.Differences among sitesare discussedin relationto balancingselective pressures including predator avoidance,Shiny Cowbird (Molothrusbonariensis) nest ,and the need to find food. Comparisonsbetween this tropicalspecies and severalwell-studied species of tem- perate,marsh-nesting blackbirds are made.--A. John Gatz,Jr. 18. Nesting on a boat:the White-wingedSwallow, albiventer, in French Guiana.(Nidification sur un bateaude l'hirundelleh ailesblanches, Tachycineta albiventer, en Guyane francaise).O. Tostain. 1979. Gerfaut 69:393-395.---The nest was on a ferry boat at Mana. The observersaw it only once and did not follow its success;it probably had eggs.--R. B. Payne.. 19. Breeding performanceof PuffinsFratercula arctica in relation to nest density, laying date and year. M.P. Harris. 1980. Ibis 122:193-209.--Breedingbiology of these puffinswas studied on Dun, an islandin the outer Hebrides(57øN). Breeding success was influencedby laying date, climaticfactors, density of nest-burrows,and predation by gulls.--Cynthia Carey. 20. The annualcycle in a tropical wet foresthummingbird community. F. G. Stiles. 1980. Ibis 112:322-343.--Althoughbird-flower co-evolution has been a popular topicfor research,few studieshave addressedthe relevanceof flower availabilityto timing of energy-demandingactivities such as breedingand molt. This studyis a valuablestep in that direction.The climateof the studyarea in the humid, Caribbeanlowlands in Costa Rica, includesa dry seasonbetween January and April and a wet seasonfor the duration of the year. Flower availabilitypeaks in the dry and early wet seasonsand reachesa low in November and December.When hummingbird flowersare scarce,some species leave the area, while othersturn to flowersthat are not normallypollinated by hummingbirds. Testesremain enlargedall year, but femalesare reproductivelyactive only in the dry and earlywet seasons,coinciding with the peakin floweravailability. Molt and breedingappear to be mutuallyantagonistic. Maximal body massesand fat storageoccur in the early wet season and reach a minimum in the late wet season when flowers are scarce. Therefore, the seasonalityof breeding, molt, and fat storageappear to be highly correlatedwith flower availability.--CynthiaCarey. 21. Penguin proportionate egg weight. A. J. Williams. 1980. Notornis 27:125- 128.--Lack'sstudies of proportionateegg weightshave been importantin guidingstudies of breeding adaptations.For penguins,the results have indicated that proportionate weightwas typical of birds with altricial,rather than semi-altricial,chicks. However, this relationshipseems based on weightsof heavy (pre-laying)females, and thus the results are not strictlycomparable with thosefrom other taxa. Usingweights of molting females, Williams found that the proportionateweights were typical of heavy birds with semi- altricialyoung.--J. R. Jehl,Jr. 22. Oystercatcher nest in a tree (Gnezdo kulika-sorokina dereve). A. Tsvelykh. 1980. Okhota Okhot Khoz 6:12-13. (Russian)--Eachspring, water releasedby a dam along the Dnepr River in the Ukraine floodsa meadowwhere many Lapwings(Vanellus vanellus),Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa ), and Oystercatchers(Haematopus ostralegus) nest,but the birds have accomodatedto this by nestingcolonially on the remaininghigh Vol.52, No. 1 RecentLiterature [77 ground.In the wet springof 1979,the dam kept the waterlevel in this area sohigh for solong that theseusually noncolonial birds crowded even closer together, with aslittle as 1 m betweennests. One pair of Oystercatcherslaid 2 eggsin an old stork nest in a tree. That they nestedso high is lessremarkable than the small (l-m) diameterof the sup- portingstructure, and the evidencethis providesof birds'adaptability to man'schanges in the environment.--Elizabeth C. Anderson. 23. Breeding successof the Black-headedGull Larus ridibundusin relation to the nesting time. J. Viksne and M. Janaus. 1980. Ornis Fenn. 57:l-10.--Breeding success wasstudied in Latviawithin severalfenced experimental areas. The averagenumbers of chicksfledged (or survivingto day 25, when they could crossthe fence) per clutchwere 1.06-1.55. In all 5 yearsof study,early nestswere more successfulin having a higher clutchsize, percent hatching, percent survival to fledging,and overallbreeding success. The variation(SD) in the meandate of hatchingwas higher later in the season,and the authorssuggest that the lesssynchronized hatching may have affectedthe survivalof later-hatchedchicks, perhaps through lossof information about the locationof food. Howe,•er,the larger SD's may be a statisticalartifact of the smallersamples late in the season.The lower percentsurvival of chicksto fledginglater in the seasonmay alsobe due to aggressiveinterference: "predation is insignificanton Lake Engureand the losses are mainlydue to aggressiveneighbours." This hypothesiscould be testedby designing the experimentalplots to comparesuccess and aggressivebehavior in sparseand dense areasof the breedingcolony.--R. B. Payne. 24. Nest sitesof the Common Gull Larus canusin relation to ice age geologyand other factors.L. yon Haartman. 1980. Ornis Fenn. 57:11-16.--A localbreeding popu- lation of gullsnested mainly on the NW sideof smallislands off the coastof SW Finland. Nest-site selection was an indirect effect of the direction of movement of Pleistocene glaciers,as the NW sidesof the islandswere more scouredand polishedand are now less denselyvegetated than the glaciallee.--R. B. Payne. 25. Breeding biology of Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalusdumetorum in SE Fin- land. P. Koskimies.1980. Ornis Fenn. 57:26-32.--Blyth's Reed Warblershave increased in numbersin SE Finland in recentyears, and Koskimieshas begun an intensivepopu- lationstudy in an areawith 25 territories/km2. Only 68% of localterritorial males nested; somenesting males were apparentlybigamous. Males ceased singing at night when they had paired and ceasedsinging in the daytimewhen the femaleswere incubating.Some malessang for only a day; the range of singingperiods was 1-47 days.Average clutch size was 5.5, the incubationperiod lasted 12-14 days,and the young fledged in 10-12 daysand were dependentupon their parentsfor another 10-22 days.Of all eggs,84% hatchedand 68% producedfledged young. Three mixed speciespairs were found, identifiedin the hand, banded,and observed nesting.Each involved a male Blyth'sReed Warbler and a female Marsh Warbler (A. palustris).Two of the pairs fledgedyoung that appearedto be indistinguishablefrom A. dumetorum,and the third waslike a young A. palustris.In no casewas the mixed pair seen actuallymating, but the detailsof their associationat the nest certainlyindicate mixed pairings.This is only the secondknown instanceof pairing betweenAcrocephalus species. Koskimiesnotes that the two have similarsongs.--R. B. Payne. 26. Seasonalchanges in nest site selectionof the Fieldfare Turduspilaris. R. K. Furrer. 1980. Ornis Scand.11:60-64.--The essenceof this paper is that Fieldfarespre- ferred conifersfor nestingbefore deciduous trees had leafedout, and later showednearly equal selectionof both tree types. Conclusion:concealment of nestsis important and conifersare the onlytree type that offersadequate concealment early in the season.The data are not convincing.First, the availabilityof the 2 typesis not measured.Second, the author rather hastilydismisses the possibilitythat later nestersare simplyexcluded from conifersby thosenesters already there. He felt predationand subsequentdesertion were frequentenough to permit late nestersto chooseconiferous sites. This may be partly true, but the averagelength of occupationof a coniferoussite was 2 to 3 wk, ample time to permit exclusionof later nesters.The exclusionhypothesis is alsosupported by the fact 78] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981 that phenologyof leaf growth was significantlyretarded in one of the 2 years.Despite this, the timing of occupationof deciduoussites was the samein both years.This suggests that later nestersare being forced into deciduoussites before the latter are offering adequateconcealment.--Marshall A. Howe. 27. The JapaneseShearwater (Pestrogolovii burevestnik). N.M. Litvinenko.1979. Priroda (Mosc.)9:98-100. (Russian)--Anesting colony of about 100 pairsof the Japanese Shearwater(Puffinus leucomelas) was discoveredin 1967 on a small (0.6 km x 0.1 kin) islandnear Vladivostok;it is the only nestingcolony of Puffinusin the USSR. The JapaneseShearwater nests in a burrow 1-1 «-m deep or in a rock niche;the nest is madeof the coarsestalks of groundcover plants. Both parentsincubate the singleegg (laid in mid to lateJune); sometimein August,the graychick with bluishbeak and pink feet hatches.The parentsfeed the chickdaily for 2 months;then the feedingstaper off. The chickgrows to or beyondadult weight.For 10-15 daysbefore fledgingthe chickis not fed. It startscoming out of the nestat night to climbone of the bouldersused as take- off points by the shearwaters(which cannot fly from a level surface).Here the chick preens,exercises its wings,and startstaking short flightsin preparationfor the night when it will leave the island for the south. Adult and sub-adultshearwaters spend the day at sea,returning 40-50 rain after sunsetand leavingbefore dawn. There were as many young pre-breedersas breederson the island;some of the pre-breederswould gather every night in August in smallareas, exchangeloud calls(even though the rest of the colonywas fairly quiet), and scrape incompleteburrows.--Elizabeth C. Anderson. 28. The SpottedGreenshank (Okhotskii ulit). V. A. Nechaev.1980. Priroda (Mosc.) 4:102-106. (Russian)---TheSpotted Greenshank (Tringa guttifera), a medium-sizedsand- piper distinguishedby a heavy,slightly recurved beak, is knownto nestonly on Sakhalin Island in the Soviet Far East; it winters in southeast Asia. On Sakhalin, the bird favors littoral, swampylatch forestswith many smalllakes and tidal lagoonswhere the treesare low-growing,deformed by the prevailingwind, and hung with beard lichens.Small fish, polychaeteworms, and smallcrustaceans are soughtamong the sedgesand mares'tails at the water'sedge. The SpottedGreenshank is very much at home in trees,in which it buildsits nestof twigsand lichensto hold the 4-eggclutch. The youngfall unharmedout of the nesttree a day after hatchingand the parentscoax them to the water.The remainsa unit until migration.Though inconspicuouswhile on the nest,the birdsdefend nest,young, and selvesfearlessly and noisily,thus attracting the assistanceof otherSpotted Greenshanks.Inadequate observation of hunting regulationsand developmentof habitat seriouslyaffect this species in spiteof--or thusaccounting for--its listingin the Red Data Booksof the IUCN, the USSR,and Japan.--Elizabeth C. Anderson. 29. Sonarsignaling and behaviorof precocialbirds Galliformesand Anseriformes in early prenataldevelopment. [Akusticheskaya signalizatsiya povedenie vydvokh ptits (kurinye i plastinchatoklyuvye)v raniem ontogeneze].A. Tikhonov. 1980. Vestnik Mosk. Univ. Biol. 16:47-55. (In Russian)--The emissionof acousticcalls during embryonicde- velopmentwas recorded for 6 and 15 speciesof theseorders respectively. The callswere characterizedby transitionsfrom random to rhythmicseries of impulses.Peeps and clicks were the earliestheard. The principal"distress" and "pleasure"calls began at hatching. All this falls under the topic of "BehavioralEmbryology." Cited within are 20 English titlesin additionto the Slavic.So expandsa new topicin the modernworld.--Leon Kelso. 30. The Waxwing Shrike (Hypocoliusampelinus) nesting in USSR fauna. [Sorko- putov sviristel(Hypocolius ampelinus) (Aves, Bombycillidae)gnezdyashchiisya vid fauny SSSR.]A. Pekloand O. Sopyev.Vestn. Zool. 1980:47-52. (In Russianwith Englishsum- mary)--Once considereda rarity, the first nestsof the WaxwingShrike were found in the USSR May-June 1979, near the Murgab River, Turkmen, Sov.Soc. Republic. Nestlings and nestingroutines for 6 nestsare detailed.For exampleat one nestcontaining 5 eggs there were 20 visits(12 by the male,8 by the female)between 0530 and 1100. From 1100 to 1700 the male made 4 visits and the female 2. From 1700 to 2000 the male made 4 visitsand the female 3. Parentsalternated at the nest, one alwaysbeing present.Food Vol.5•, •o. I RecentLiterature [79

includedlocusts, antlions, and cicadas.Nestlings were alsofed berryjuices pressedout and dropped into their mouths.Operating along with associatedpasserines, the adults aggressivelyrepelled snakesinvading the nest thickets.--Leon Kelso.

BEHAVIOR (see also 4, 11, 43, 54, 76, 77, 82) 31. The behaviourof the Black Sparrowhawk(Accipiter melanoleucus). L. H. and B. E. Brown. 1979. Ardea 67:77-95.--This studywas carried out over 7 yearsat Karen near Nairobi,Kenya and maybe the fullestavailable study of any tropicalAccipiter species. The Black Sparrowhawkis very seldomseen outside the forest, but clearly kills prey in opencountry also. It specializeson pigeonsand dovesbut apparentlyselects larger species more often than expected.The breedingseason differs little from that of other accipiters, but the samenest is used for unusuallylong periodsin this (7-22 years).Nest buildingis protractedand sporadic,beginning up to 125 daysbefore egg-layingwhich may reflectthe fact that it is a tropicalspecies. Unlike temperateaccipiters the female takesno part in feeding the young until they can fly and she doesmolt in the 90 days from beforeegg-laying until fledgingof the young.Because of differencesin anatomical proportions,food preferences,and someaspects of their breedingbehavior, the authors suggestthat the taxonomicplacement of thisspecies in the superspecieswith the Northern Goshawk(Accipiter gentilis) is incorrect.--C. M. White. 32. Young g•illemots (Uria lomvia) leaving their arctic breeding cliffs: a daily rhythm in numbersand risk. S. Doon and J. Tinbergen. 1979. Ardea 67:96-100.---At 3 weeksof age youngguillemots [Thick billed Murres] (Uria lomvia)jumpfrom their breed- ing ledgesto reachthe sea.Some do not glide far enoughand drop on the slopesunder the colony.These struggle on down the slopeon foot and are vulnerableto predationat thistime. Under conditionsof continuousdaylight the jumping activityhas a distinctpeak between2000-2400. Predationby the GlaucousGull (Larushyperboreus) varied consider- ablyduring the night. The combinedresults of jumping activityand predationshow that the predation risk for young guillemotsis smallestat the time that mostjumps occur. Thus, predation as a selectionpressure favors synchronyin jumping activity.•C. M. White. 33. Bigamy in Jackdaws.A. Roell. 1979. Ardea 67:123-129.--This is the studyof 2 case-historiesof the J•ackdaw(Corvus monedula) observed in the Netherlands.A "third" bird hasbeen recorded in a numberof corvidspecies, though they maybe malesin some species.The author suggeststhat kinshipselection can probablybe ruled out to explain this phenomenonin mostspecies since there are no indicationsthat followerswere closely related to the membersof the pair they followed. What most of these specieshave in common is that only mated pairs possessnesting territories, often throughout the year. Hence, non-matedbirds can eitherjoin a pair holdingan essentialresource for breeding, or join a flock of "landless"birds. The more restricted these are, the more often non- mated birds may be expected to join settled pairs. Jackdawsbreed in natural cavities, hence suitablenestsites may often be in short supply and trios therefore may be com- mon.-•C. M. White. 34. The bathing behaviourof Eleonora'sFalcon. D. Ristow,C. Wink, and M. Wink. 1980. Bird Study 27:54-55.-•The occurrenceof sun-, dust-, and rain-bathingis briefly describedfor a populationof Eleonora'sFalcon (Falcoeleonorae) in a xeric habitat on an Aegeanisland. Perhaps most interesting is the discussionof dust-bathing,which may not occuras frequently in other populationsof this specieswith accessto surfacefresh water. The paper left me wonderingwhether dust-bathinghas been reported among other falcons or hawks.--Scott R. Robinson. 35. Sexualrecognition and anticuckoldrybehaviour in SavannahSparrows. P. J. Weatherheadand R. J. Robertson.1980. Can. J. Zool. 58:991-996.--Barash (Am. Nat. 110:1097-1101, 1976) wasamong the first to suggestavoidance of beingcuckolded as a selectiveforce leadingto certainaggressive and territorialbehavior in birds. This paper 80] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981 reports field experimentssimilar to those of Barash, but done with a specieslacking secondarysexual dimorphism, Passerculus sattdwichensis. Throughout the breeding cycle, territorial males were confronted with "models" of intruders; both a freeze-dried male in upright song perch postureand a freeze-driedfemale in precopulatoryposture were used.Territorial malesattacked both modelsprior to nesting,only the male modelearly in nesting,and neither model late in the nestingperiod. Although theseresults are con- cordantwith an anticuckoldryhypothesis, the experimentaldesign does not allow one to rejectalternative explanations. For example,as Weatherheadand Robertsonnote, a similar pattern of responsestoward the male model might be expectedmerely through habit- uation to the model as 10 to 20 trials were run per individual territorial male. In that Barash'sresults, too, suggesthabituation as a possiblealternative explanation, some in- vestigationof this factor alone seemsdesirable. For instance,a male model could be repeatedlyintroduced to individualterritorial malesduring an early stagein the breeding cycleand the number of exposuresrequired to bring aboutany possibleextinction of the attackbehavior could therebybe determined.--A. John Gatz,Jr. 36. Removal and replacement of male Blue Grouse on persistent and transient territorial sites.R. A. Lewisand F. C. Zwickel.1980. Can.J. Zool.58:1417-1423.--Zwickel and co-workershave monitored76 breedingterritories of Dendragapusobscurus on a 485 ha breedingarea on VancouverIsland every year since 1969. They define territories occupiedat least9 of the last 10 yr as persistentand territoriesoccupied 8 yr or fewer as transient.During 1978 and 1979, Lewisand Zwickelshot resident males and alsoany replacementmales from 11 territoriesof each of these2 types.A surplusof maleswas found to exist,and thesemales--by a 4 to 1 margin--movedonto "persistent"territories. The authorsconclude that territorialbehavior limits breeding density in Blue Grouseand suggestthat non-territorialmales may normallywait one or more yearsafter reaching sexualmaturity before acquiringa territory in order to get one of high quality.The most disturbingaspect of thiswork is the similarity,bordering on circularity,of their definition of high qualityterritories and their results;a finding that maleBlue Grouse preferentially occupyterritories with certain physicalfeatures would be more satisfyingthan a finding that they preferentiallyoccupy territories that otherbirds have occupied over the years.-- A. John Gatz, Jr. 37. Snow Petrels at Point Geologie. (Le Petrel des neigesh Point G•ologie). M. Guillotinand P. Jouventin.1980. Gerfaut 70:51-72.--Snow Petrels(Pagodroma nivea) in the PointGeologie Archipelago were marked and recapturedover 15 yr. The averageage at sexualmaturity is 7 yr. The annualadult mortalityis estimated at 5.3%, and theaverage longevityfor adultsis 18.3yr, similarto other Procellariiformes.Annual mortality of eggs and chicksis high (53%). Pairingof markedpetrels was followed across seasons and the resultswere similar to Coulson's(J. Anita. Ecol. 35:269-279, 1966) studyof Kittiwakes(Rissa tridactyla) in the prevalenceof rematingof old pairsand in the occurrenceof mate switchesbetween years. The proportionof returningbirds that divorcedand thenselected new partners was 17%. Experiencedpairs had a higherreproductive success than new pairs;unsuccessful pairs tendedto separatethe followingyear. Birdswere slightlymore faithful to their nestsites than to their mates.Apparently either he or she took the old nestingsite after a pair divorced. Audiospectrogramsof the songsare shownand described,and the authorssuggest that the songsmay be involvedin individualrecognition between mates. No experimental playbackswere carriedout. No differencesin voicewere found betweenbreeding pop- ulationsof Terre Adelie and the SouthOrkneys on the other sideof Antarctica.--Robert B. Payne. 38. Behaviour of the Aleutian Grey-crownedand Brown-cappedrosy finchesLeu- costictetephrocotis. D. F. Shreeve. 1980. Ibis 122:145-165.--This comprehensivestudy comparesthe visualand vocaldisplays of Brown-cappedRosy Finches (Leucosticte tephro- cotisaustralis) studied in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado,and Gray-crowned RosyFinches (L. t. griseonucha)on Adak Island, Alaska.These displaysare contrasted Vol.52, No. 1 RecentLiterature [81 extensivelyin long tableswith similar behavior of other Carduelinae,Fringillinae, and Emberizinae.The visualdisplays of the two subspeciesdo not differ significantly,but the vocalizationsof the two are quitedifferent. The flockcall of L. t. griseonuchaisconcentrated in a singleband of frequencies,whereas that call of L. t. australisconsists of 3 major band frequencies,a characteristicthat may enable the call to carry over distancedespite high backgroundnoise. The breeding seasonof L. t. australisis compressedinto 2 monthsbut that of L. t. griseonuchamay extend 7 months.Males feed the incubatingmate and par- ticipatein the care of nestlings.---CynthiaCarey. 39. Social status,external signalsand colonic temperature in the captive Willow GrouseLagopus lagopus lagopus. G. Myhre. 1980. Ornis Scan& 1l:77-80.--Randomly selectedpairs of male, captive-raisedptarmigan were simultaneouslyintroduced into an unfamiliarcage containing 2 perchesand a pile of netting,to whichthe birdswere known to be attracted. A bird was considered dominant if it attained exclusive control of the netting.Progress of moltinto springplumage, height of combserrations, and frequency of defecationwere significantlygreater in dominantindividuals. Subordinates had higher body temperaturesthan dominantsbefore, during, and after the encounters.This• was attributed to stress in subordinates, a condition which is known to stimulate secretion of calorigenichormones in humans. Separate studiesof molting individuals showedthat body temperaturedifferences were independentof molt stage.The temperaturestudies are interestingbecause they suggestthat subordinatesocial status can be reinforced or aggravatedby physiologicalfeedback mechanisms. The higher defecationrates in domi- nant birds were not adequatelyexplained. The authors did not indicate if the rate dif- ferenceswere a function of the encountersor if they persistedin isolation.Their com- parisonwith similarresults in experimentswith mice seemfar-fetched, almost implying a scent-markingfunction.--Marshall A. Howe. 40. Signals for food: reinforcers or informants? J. J. Cherfas. 1980. Science 209:1552-1553.--Ring Doves(Streptopelia risoria) were used. A cage had either one key which would bring a food cup into the cage or 2 keysopposite each other, one or both of whichwould bring a food cup. The cup might or might not containfood. With 2 keys the bird settledupon that which producedthe greater amount of food, switchingto the other when the first no longer provided food. With 1 or 2 keys, pecking at the keys stoppedafter food wasno longer forthcoming.Cherfas concludes that the estimateof a food resource'sprofitability is revisedafter every act that shouldproduce food.--C. H. Blake.

ECOLOGY (see also 10, 20, 26, 28, 81, 88) 41. Foraging behavior and activity budgetsof Curlew Sandpipers.G. M. Puttick. 1979. Ardea 67:111-122.--Curlew Sandpipers(Calidrisferruginea) in SouthAfrica spent 55-65% of daylighthours foraging in spring and summer,and up to 80% foragingin winter. Adult birds foraged faster and more efficiently in autumn and winter than in spring and summer.Immature birds foraged more slowlyand lesssuccessfully than adult birds,which possibly explains why immaturesdo not return to the breedingareas in their first year. Foragingwas faster but successrate lower on incomingthan on outgoingtides. Foragingand successrates decreasedprogressively from the upper to the lower shore, relatedto the densityand potentialavailability of prey.--C. M. White. 42. Bird populationsof 70-year spruce standsin Moscowenvirons. (Naselenie ptits 70-1etnikhkultur eli v Moskovskoioblasti.) M. Merzlenko. 1980. Bvull. Mosk. Ovd. Ispyt. Prir. Ota. Biol. 85:50-53. (In Russian)--Twenty-onespecies were recordedin plant- ed spruceareas in densitiesof at least3.87 per ha. The dominantspecies were fringillids and Goldcrests(Regulus regulus) comprising 48% and 18%. One may be optimisticabout the survivalof birds in ancientand artificial urban centers.Notably absentwere wood- peckers,Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) and nuthatches(Sitta europaea). Woodpeckers for example prefer to excavatein aspen and birch. In planted wooded areas, species' 82] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981 diversitywas consistently lower, and numericalabundance was half that of nativeforests.- Leon Kelso. 43. Foragingbehaviour of migrant Pied Flycatchers,Ficedula hypoleuca, on tem- porary territories.C. J. Bibbyand R. E. Green. 1980.J. Anim. Ecol.49:507-521.--Pied Flycatchersfrom Scandinaviafly direct to Portugalin autumn where they fatten for a secondflight to their sub-Saharanwintering area. Marked birds studiedin a cork oak plantationon the stop-overin Portugalwere holdingterritories, although only nestholes are defendedin the breedingseason. Weight gain was0.34 g per day.The diet wasmainly ,wasps, and ,prey that wereassumed to be patchilydistributed since the birds' captureattempts were clumped.In poor feedingconditions one bird stayedlonger within a patch than when feeding wasbetter. Feedingrate declinedexponentially the longer a bird fed in one tree, but after its departure prospectsrecovered in 10-15 min. The flycatcherscircuited their territoriesnon-randomly, revisiting trees after about 12 min. Pied Flycatcherbehavior on passageis consistentwith optimal foraging theory.--P. J. Belman.

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC ORNITHOLOGY (see also 1, 68, 69, 90) 44. Noteson avian rodentforaging and epizooticeffect on tularemia in Yakutiya and Europeanboreal tundras. (Materialypo pitaniyuptits miofagovi viyavlennyuepi- zootiitylyaremyi v tundrryakhYakutii i evraipaiskogosevera.) L. Tekrasova,T. Duncleva, and R. Kolesnikova.1980. Byull. Mosk.Ova. Ispyt. Prir. Biol. 85:3-12. (In Russian)--The excretaof murine feeding birds, chieflypellets of Rough-leggedHawks (Buteolagopus) and SnowyOwls, (Nycteascandiaca) from diverse tundra areas and over severalyears showedthat letomings(Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostomyxtorquatus) carried tularemiavirus. The virus existsthroughout the tundra and is of decidedhuman hygienicsignificance.- Leon Kelso. 45. Statusand conservationof the Woodlark in upper Belgium. (Statutet conser- vation de l'Alouette lulu Haute Belgique).J.-P. Ledant and J.-P. Jacob. 1980. Gerfaut 70:95-103.--Woodlarks (Lullula arborea)have decreaseddrastically in numbers in less than 20 y and occupya few refuge heaths.The reductionof suitablehabitats is mainly responsible.Management measures are recommended.--RobertB. Payne.

CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (see also 7, 9, 16, 22, 42, 45, 88) 46. A study of Lapwing breedingpopulation changesin the New Forest,Hamp- shire. R. Jacksonand J. Jackson.1980. Bird Study27:27-34.---Contrary to the overall trend in Britain, a populationof Lapwings(Vanellus vanellus) at BeaulieuHeath in Hamp- shire declinedfrom 1971 to 1979. Hatching successdropped and chick mortalityrose most sharplyduring 1976-1978, and by 1978 no chickssurvived more than 30 d after hatching.Part of this dramaticdecline can be attributedto the unusuallydry, sunny weather during 1976-1978, which dried out the breedinghabitat. An unexpectedside- effect of this sunnyweather was to draw vacationingBritons to overflowcamping sites and model airplane pilots to the airfield adjacentto the study plot. The result was a dramaticincrease in lossesdue to "predation"(in the senseof predatoryhumans trampling eggsand chicksin ground nests).--ScottR. Robinson. 47. House Sparrowsdown coal mines.D. Summers-Smith.1980. Br. Birds 73:325- 327.--House Sparrows(Passer domesticus) can surviveand breed in coal mines. Several recordsof House Sparrowoccupation of coalmines exist; the best-documentedrecord is from FrickleyColliery, Yorkshire,where 2 and later 3 sparrowslived at a depth of 640 m for at least3 y. In November1977, a pair nestedin the mine and raised3 young which did not survive.--PatriciaAdair Gowaty. Vol.•2, I•o.1 RecentLiterature [83

48. PCB and organochlorine pesticide residues in birds of prey found dead in Belgium from 1973 to 1977. C. Joiris, K. Dclbckc, E. Martens, M. Lauwcrcys,and A. Vercruysse.1979. Gerfaut 69:319-337.--Contaminationwas highest in the Sparrowhawk (Accipiternisus) and the Long-earedOwl (Asiootus). Differences among species paralleled differencespreviously reported for pesticidecontents in the eggsand were explainedin termsof the differencesin their food. Pesticidelevels were generallyheavier in northern Belgiumthan in the south,but were higher in the southfor Tawny Owls (Strixaluco). Other pesticidesidentified in the dead raptorswere HCB, Lindane,Dieldrin, and Hep- tachlor epoxide.--R. B. Payne. 49. Noteson the birds of Liberia. (Note sur lesoiseaux du Liberia).J. Verschuren. 1979. Gerfaut 69:379-391.--Field notesfor 7 monthsin Liberia record only 50 species. "Birds and mammalsare very rare in this country, due to excessivehunting. Most bird speciesbigger than a sparroware killed, the Cattle Egret being a(n) exception.'Until recently,anyone killed anything,anytime, anywhere, anyhow.'"--R. B. Payne. 50. Golden Eagleson Rhum. P. Corkhill. 1980. Scott.Birds 11:33-43.--The Inner Hebridean island of Rhum supported3 to 4 breeding pairs of Golden Eagles(Aquila chrysaetos)from 1957-1976. Breedingsuccess, 0.37 youngper attempt,was low compared to other Scottishareas (0.58). Rhum is one of the areaswhere seabirds form a major part of the eagles'diet, and the poor breedingsuccess is attributedto chemicalcontamination from the marine food chain. Egg analysisshowed DDE and PCB levelsto be higher than for inland localities.--P.J. Belman.

PARASITES AND DISEASES

(see also 44, 87) 51. Passerincnestling losses to parasiticfly larvae. (O gibeliptentsov vorobinnykh ptits ot paraziticheskikhmykh.) S. Bakka. 1980. Vestn. Leningr. Univ. Biol. 9:106-108. (In Russian)--ln the Lapland Reserve23 nestsof Redwings(Turdus iliacus) were infested by Protocalliphoraspp. The fate of 2 clutchesis detailed.Most vulnerable to parasiteattack were the breastand abdomen.Adult losswas far lessthan that of the nestlings.Wet weatheraggravated the losses.--LeonKelso.

PHYSIOLOGY (see also 20, 21, 39, 63) 52. Surfacewaxes and integumentarypermeability. N. F. Hadley. 1980. Am. Sci. 68:546-553.---One paragraph on birds (p. 551) concludesthat birds lose much water through the skin, that the stratum corneum is the principal barrier, that the preen wax on the feathersprevents inward water penetrationbut the resistanceof the feathersto outward diffusion is smallcompared to that of the skin.--C. H. Blake. 53. Metabolic and thermal responsesto heat and cold in Streamertail Humming- birds (Trochiluspolytmus and Trochilusscitulus, Trochilidae). K.-L. Schachmannand D. Schmidt-Marloh.1979. Biotropica1 l:123-126.--The metabolicrate and body tempera- ture of both specieswere measuredat ambienttemperatures from 0ø-41øC.Both species showedhomoiothermia from 15ø-33øC,and a metabolicplateau from 20ø-29øC.Below these temperaturesthe metabolicrate increasedand body temperature decreased.At higher ambienttemperatures the reversewas true. Becauseboth speciesoccur in tropical Jamaica,one would expect them to showadaptations to warm ambient temperatures.- Robert C. Beason. 54. Changesin plasma levels of luteinizing hormone, steroid, and thyroid hor- mones during the postfiedgingdevelopment of White-crownedSparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys.J. C. Wingfield,J.P. Smith, and D. S. Farner. 1980. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 41:372-377.---One of the mostexciting developments in avian endocrinologyin the past few yearshas been the use of new techniquesfor testinglevels of circulatinghormones in birds captured in the field. This paper showsthat transitoryincreases in plasmalu- 84] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981 teinizinghormones (LH) and 17fl-hydroxy-5a-androstan-3-one(DHT) occur during the post-juvenalmolt in fledged White-crownedSparrows. Testosterone and corticosterone levelsremain exceptionallylow during this period. The paper hypothesizesthat the in- creasesin LH and DHT may functionin the developmentof songand socialbehavior.- Cynthia Carey. 55. Autumn and early winter weights of waders in north-west Africa. W. J. A. Dick and M. W. Pienkowski.1979. Ornis Scand. 10:117-123.--This study compares weightsand weightchanges of shorebirdmigrants in Africa and Englandin fall migration and winter. Becauseshorebirds of the speciesexamined exhibited similar morphometric attributesin both areas,weight differences were believedto reflect differencesin fat, protein, or water reserves.Weights of mostspecies were substantiallylower after arrival in Africa than before departure from England. In somespecies, especially the Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosalapponica), arrival weightswere often much lower than lean weightsof Englishbirds, indicatingthe probabilityof weightloss in the musclesduring migration. This differencewas as much as 40% in juvenilegodwits. Presurned long-distance migrants like the Knot (Calidriscanutus) sometimes arrived in Africa in emaciatedcondition, sug- gestingthat nutritional stressduring migration may be a normal causeof mortality in suchspecies. Most speciesexperienced no weight gain in fall and early winter in Africa. The samespecies wintering in England showfat build-upsduring the sameperiod, in- dicatingan anticipatorymechanism for withstandingthe colderwinter conditions there. This paper is one of many by the European"morphometric school" of shorebirdre- searchersillustrating the insightsinto bioenergeticsthat can resultfrom interpretinglarge comparativesamples of simple weight data in an ecologicalperspective.--Marshall A. Howe. 56. Energetic responsesto various ambient temperatures in the hummingbird Ocreatusu. underwoodii.[Energieumsatz in Abh•ingigkeityon der Umgebungstemperatur beim Kolibri Ocreatusu. underwoodii.]K.-L. Schuchmann.1979. J. Ornithol. 120:311- 315.--The metabolicrates of I maleand 2 femaleswere measured at restand while flying. In both cases there was a linear increase in the rate of metabolism associated with de- creasingambient temperature from 3ø-34øC.There wasno thermoneutralzone.--Robert C. Beason.

57. Cells isolatedfrom the embryonicneural retina differ in behaviorin vitro and membranestructure. J. B. Sheffield,D. Pressman,and M. Lynch. 1980.Science 209:1043- 1045.--Cells from 14-day chick neural retina were dissociatedand in suspensionwere dividedinto 4 fractionsof differing specificgravity and sizes.Each of thesefractions when cultured separatelyaggregated in a partcular way. The fractionsinteracted with each other in different ways.The cellsin each fraction showedsomewhat different numbers of intramembraneparticles per squaremicrometer.--C. H. Blake. 58. Thermoregulationin doves(Columbidae): a novel esophagealheat exchanger. S. L. L. Gaunt. 1980. Science210:445-447.--Observations made on the RingedTurtle Dove(Streptopelia risoria) showed a dense,subcutaneous, vascular rete extendingfrom the hyoid bone to the level of the crop. Subjectedto heat stressabove about 36øC,the bird inflatesthe esophagusdown to the crop.This largelyretards the riseof bodytemperature whichis not preventedby pantingor gular flutter. If the esophagusis ligatedthe body temperaturerises nearly in stepwith the external temperature.It is not statedhow the esophagusis inflated againstthe pressureof surroundingtissues. This would seemto require a valve.--C. H. Blake.

MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY 59. Weight, fat class,and wing measurementsof Ruby-crownedKinglets during migration.K. W. Prescott,1980. Inl. Bird Banding52:l-7.--This paperreports weights, fat deposits,and wing lengthsfor 149 migratingRuby-crowned Kinglets (Regalus calen- dula) over a 6-year period in New Jersey.Age (juvenile,adult) wasdetermined by visual examinationof skullossification under water-soaked crowns, and fat depositionby visual Vol.52, No. 1 RecentLiterature [85 examinationof the furcula region.Males were heavier,had longer wings,but had lessfat than females.Spring adults had more fat but weighedless than fall adults.--RichardM. Zammuto. 60. An attempt to age pigeonsusing layered structureof tibia. S. Manikowskiand K. Walasz. 1980. Ornis Scand. 11:73-74.--In 1971 Van Soest and Van Utrecht described a methodof agingbird specimensby counting"annual rings" in the periostealregions of appropriatelystained bone material.They knew in advancethe agesof the birds in their studies.Manikowski and Walaszdecided to testthe utility of the techniqueby preparing bone material from pigeonsaged 2-7 y, and having the age of the samplematerial determinedby subjectsexperienced in microscopictechnique and familiar with the orig- inal paper. Estimatesof age varied so much that the techniquewas deemed essentially useless.The experimentshould have been repeatedafter providingthe subjectswith an opportunityto studythe known-agematerial in detail. Nonetheless,determinations of the preciseages of adult pigeonsshould, for the time being,be supportedby birth certifi- cates.--Marshall A. Howe.

PLUMAGES AND MOLT

(see also 20, 88) 61. Observationson the breeding and prenuptial moult of Dunlins, Cal- idris alpina, captured in Britain. P. N. Ferns and G. H. Green. 1979. Gerfaut 69:286- 303.--Three subspeciesof Dunlin occurin migrationin Britain. This studysummarizes the characteristicsof eachin plumageand measurements,and comparesthe fresh breed- ing plumagein termsof the Munsellcolor code notationand in a color photographof hand-held netted birds. Many C. a. alpina, which breed in northern Scandinaviaand Russia,undergo the entire molt in the Severn estuary,whereas the other 2 races(C. a. schinzii, from Iceland, the British Isles, and the Baltic; C. a. arctica from northeastern Greenland)arrive in almostcomplete breeding plumage but changeappearance through wear of the feathers.--R. B. Payne. 62. The pterylosisof five Europeancorvids. M. L. Morlion and P. Vanparijs.1980. Gerfaut 69:357-378.--Detailed descriptionsand illustrationswere made for the Rook (Corvusfrugilegus), Jackdaw (C. monedula),Carrion Crow (C. corone),Magpie (Picapica), and EuropeanJay (Garrulusglandarius). The Corvusspecies were similar to each other, and the magpieto the jay.--R. B. Payne. 63. Overlap between breeding and moulting in the Great Tit Parus major and Willow Tit P. montanusin northernFinland. M. Orell and M. Ojanen. 1980. Ornis Scand. 11:43-49.--No great revelationsleap from this paper, but the data provide additional supportfor a generalmodel of passerinemolt schedulesat high latitudes.In both species studied,males began postnuptial molt earlier than femalesbut femalesmolted at a slightly faster rate. On a populationlevel there was slightoverlap of primary molt with first nestingsand considerableoverlap with secondnestings. On the average,birds that raised secondbroods began the molt later than birds raisingonly one brood. There wasa slight increasein bodyweight during molt,but not as muchas in someother passerinesstudied. Both speciesare non-migratorybut Great Tits have only recently expanded their range into northern Finland. The latter exhibit no autumn weightgain anticipatingcold winter conditions but Willow Tits do. The molt schedule of Willow Tits is also 3 weeks earlier than that of Great Tits despiteno differencein breedingschedules. The authors concludethat Willox,'Tits must molt earlier in order to allow adequatetime for the autumnalweight gain, with whichthe molt processmight be incompatible.--MarshallA. Howe.

ZOOGEOGRAPHY AND DISTRIBUTION (see also 6, 17, 24, 72, 74, 79, 85, 89) 64. Nestingrequirements, food and breedingdistribution of RhinocerosAuklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) and Tufted Puffins (Lunda cirrhata). K. Vetmeet. 1979. Ardea 86] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981

67:101-110.--The fieldwork in this studywas accomplishedin the ScottIslands, British Columbia,though the author reviewsthe distributionand abundanceof the species throughouttheir ranges.He found,in the ScottIslands, that Tufted Puffinsnested pre- dominantlyin tufted hairgrass,on steepslopes and cliff tops.The nestingpattern of puffinssuggests that theybenefit from high elevationsand steepslopes for takingoff. In contrast,Rhinoceros Auklets nested at a wide rangeof slopegradients and in vegetation other than hairgrass.Rhinoceros Auklets and Tufted Puffinsshowed latitudinal differ- encesin principalfood itemsalong the easternPacific, except for sandlancewhich was importantfor both speciesat all localities.The two speciesare largelysympatric in the southeasternAlaskan and Canadianportions of their rangesand againin the Kuril Islands and SakhalinIsland, Asia. The centerof abundancefor the puffin is seeminglyAlaska' while the center for the auklet is British Columbia. Factors that determine differences in breedingdistribution are suggestedto be (1) availabilityof suitablenesting sites, (2) food, and (3) predationby fox, especiallyon the easilyaccessible auklet. He suggeststhat the nocturnalfeeding habits of the aukletsmay causeit to be scarcein the northern Bering Seabecause of long summerphotoperiods.--C. M. White. 65. An analysisof Razorbill movementsaway from the breeding colony. P.M. North. 1980. Bird Study 27:11-20.•Beginning with a modestbase of data gathered throughrecoveries of dead Razorbills(Alca torda), this paper proceedsto examinethe distancesof movementof first-yearand adult birds awayfrom coloniesafter the breeding season.In the first analysis,the distributionof distancesaway from the breedingcolony is fitted to a theoreticalexponential distribution, with adjustmentsbeing made for those distancecategories that deviatedmost from expectations.Subsequent analyses employ similartechniques on subsetsof thedata that takecauses of deathand locationsof recovery into account.The author concludesthat first-yearbirds showeda greater tendencythan adults to move away from the breedingcolony, but cautionsthat great care must be exercisedin interpretingdata from recoveriesof deadbirds. I agreewith thisadvice, and would urge further cautionin interpretingthe resultsof suchmodel-fitting exercises as are exemplifiedin this paper.--ScottR. Robinson. 66. The European atlas: owls. M. Everett and J. T. R. Sharrock. 1980. Br. Birds 73:239-256.•A continent-widemapping project by the EuropeanOrnithological Atlas Committeeis plannedfor 1985-1988. Provisionaldistribution maps of breedingbirds of variousspecies are beingproduced based on fieldworkfor nationalatlas schemes. In this report dot-distributionmaps of 12 Europeanowls are shown.These include: Barn Owl (Tytoalba), Scops Owl (Otusscops), Eagle Owl (Bubobubo), Snowy Owl (Nycteascandiaca), Hawk Owl (Surniaulula), Little Owl (Athenenoctua), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco),Ural Owl (Strixuralensis), Great Gray Owl (Strixnebulosa), Long-eared Owl (Asiootus), Short-eared Owl (Asioflammeus),and Tengmalm'sOwl (Aegoliusfunereus).--PatriciaAdair Gowaty. 67. Possiblefuture Palearcticpasserine vagrants to Britain. D. I. M. Wallace.1980. Br. Birds. 73:388-397.--The observednumbers of extralimitalvagrant passetinesfrom Eurasiato Britain have increasedin recentyears. This articleindicates that a further 38 passefinespecies may alsoreach Britain. This handy guide containsa key to assistthe identificationof thosespecies least known. These are reported in 3 sectionsas vagrants from Europe, southwesternAsia, and centralAsia and Siberia.The report is basedon a searchof patternsof breedingdistributions, migratory ranges, and distancesthat match thosefor knownvagrants.--Patricia Adair Gowaty. 68. Censusmethods for Murres, Uria species:a unified approach.T. R. Birkhead and D. N. Nettleship.1980. Can. Wildl. Serv. Occas.Pap. No. 43. 23 p.--This paper delineatesmethods for estimatingCommon Murre (Uria aalge)and Thick-billedMurre (U. lomvia)population size for northern Atlantic Ocean colonies.Breeding coloniesare distributedon 4 major substrates(cliff, flat-top, boulder scree,and cave). This causes individualsto be dispersed4 different waysand thus necessitatescensusing technique adjustmentsfor eachsubstrate. The authorsconclude that cliff and flat-topcolonies are bestestimated by direct counts(using photographs and/or field personnel),while no re- liable methodsexist for estimatingcolonies on boulderscrees or in caves.Individuals of Vol.52, No. I RecentLiterature [87

the latter 2 colonytypes are hidden by the substrate.Step-by-step methods are provided for countingmurres in cliff and fiat-topcolonies using plots. True populationstatus is bestassessed by an observerpresent at the colonyfor about10 d sincebirds in photographs in incubatingpositions may not havean egg. Overall, the methodsfor estimatingpopu- lationsize delinated in thisreport are expensiveand time-consumingand in my opinion will seldom be used.--Richard M. Zammuto. 69. An aerial surveyof breedinggeese and other wildlife in Foxe Basin and north- ern Baffin Island, NorthwestTerritories, July 1979. A. Reed,P. Dupuis,K. Fischer,and J. Moser. 1980.Can. Wildl. Serv.Prog. Notes No. 114.21 p.--This paper reportsan aerial reconnaissanceof 1979breeding waterfowl populations on the relativelyunexplored west- ern shoresof Baffin Island and the northeasternshores of Melville Peninsula.Specific breeding distributionsare mapped for Atlantic Brant (Brantabernicla) and each of the 2 subspeciesof Snow Goose(A. caerulescenscaerulescens, A. c. atlanticus).Information is also reported for other wildlife species.--RichardM. Zammuto. 70. Ornithological observationsin Reunion. [Observationsornithologiques h la Reunion]. B. Jadin and F. Billiet. 1979. Gerfaut 69:339-352.--Barau's Petrel (Pterodroma baraui)was observedbut its breeding habitsare unknown; no nest has been found. Au- dubon'sShearwaters (Puffinus lherminieri) nested in sheer cliffs; nestswith young were found in Novemberand December.Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (P. pacificus)nested in the samecliffs but at higherelevations. Three nestingplaces were described for the (Collocaliafrancica); except in the ,no nestshad previouslybeen found. The nestswere attachedto caveceilings and were built of lichens,mosses, or liverworts glued togetherwith saliva.Nests of the MascareneMartin (Phedinaborbonica) were also described.--R.B. Payne. 71. Noteson status,vocalizations and behaviourof Lidth'sJay, Garruluslidthi. M. D. Bruce.1979. Gerfaut 69:353-356.--Lidth's Jays have a veryrestricted range (the north- ern Ryu Kyu Islands).Little is knownof their behavior.--R. B. Payne.

SYSTEMATICS AND PALEONTOLOGY (see also 25, 31, 80) 72. Hybridizationbetween the barbetsPogoniulus bilineatus and Pogoniulusleuco- laima in Rwanda and Burundi. [Hybridationentre les barbionsPogoniulus bilineatus et Pogoniulusleucolaima au Rwandaet au Burundi].A Prigogine.1980. Gerfaut 70:73-91.- Examination of museum specimensof these barbetsfrom Rwanda and Burundi shows that most individttalsbetween Lake Kivu and northern Lake Tanganyikaand alsothose southeastof Kigali are intermediatein color betweenthe allospeciesin the rest of their ranges.Nonintermediate individuals occur also but are uncommon.Prigogine concludes that the formsare conspecificand that the intermediatebirds are in an area of secondary contact.--Robert B. Payne. 73. French nomenclatureproject of the birds of the world. 9. Alaudidaeto Pru- nellidae. [Projet de nomenclature frangaise des oiseaux du monde. 9. Alaudidae aux Prunellidae]. P. Devillers. 1980. Gerfaut 70:121-146.--This section continues the list of the scientificnames and the French vernacularname for all speciesin each family of birds. It providesa world list and the author'sopinions of speciesrelationships. A com- mentary on each family includesa review of recent systematicwork. Finally, a detailed bibliographyis publishedwith eachsection. Section 9 includesthe Alaudidae,Hirundin- idae, Campephagidae,Pycnonotidae, Chloropseidae, Irenidae, Laniidae,Vangidae, Bom- bycillidae,Dulidae, Motacillidae,Cinclidae, Troglodytidae, Mimidae, and Prunellidae.-- Robert B. Payne. 74. Relation between the Banded Prinias Prinia bairdii obscura and Prinia bairdii bairdii. [Relationentre les Priniasray,es Prinia bairdiiobscura et Prinia bairdiibairdii]. A. Prigogine.1979. Gerfaut 69:305-318.--In 2 areasof easternZaire, central Africa, most museumspecimens of this warbler complexare intermediatein plumagecolor between the lowland western form (bairdii) and the eastern form of the Albertine Rift mountains 88] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981

(obscura).In the Maboyaregion the rangeof variationincludes a few birdsof eachextreme form, whereasin the Kamituga region one (bairdii) or both extreme forms are locally absent.The author concludesthat the 2 forms are conspecific.--R.B. Payne. 75. The plasma proteins of somealbatrosses and petrels as an index of relation- ship in the Procellariiformes. P. C. Harper. 1978. N.Z.J. Zool. 5:509-549.--Four hundred seventy-twoindividuals representing 29 species,11 genera, and all 4 fam- iliesof the order Procellariiformeswere examinedusing electrophoretic analysis of blood proteins.Polyacrylamide gels were used;structural proteins were assayedusing esterase and total protein stains, and immunoelectrophoresis.Patterns of genetic differences amongspecies were analyzedby noting similaritiesand differences.Data are presented as a large figure showingsample gel patterns.The studywould have benefitedgreatly from a more quantitativeanalysis; for example,genetic distances were not computedand no table of allelicpatterns across species was presented. The author concludesthat the order is monophyleticwith many old lineages;the 4 recognizedfamilies seem real. However,these results are basedon similaritiesand not sharedderived characters.It is interestingto note that the gel patternsfor the 4 species of prionsexamined are all different. Distinguishingspecimens of this genushas been notoriouslydifficult usingtraditional methodologies.--George F. Barrowclough.

EVOLUTION AND GENETICS (see also 32, 35, 72, 74, 75) 76. Geneticvariation among trait groupsand apparentabsence of closeinbreeding in Grey-crownedBabblers. M. S. Johnsonand J. L. Brown. 1980. Behar. Ecol.Sociobiol. 7:93-98.--The Gray-crownedBabbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) of Australiais a species with territoriesdefended by groupsapparently composed of a breedingpair and their offspring.These offspringremain in the group at leastto maturityand "help at the nest." The dispersalpattern of the young is unknown; hence it is conceivablethat there could be significantinbreeding due to incestor smallpopulation size if dispersalwere severely restrictedor nonexistentdue to the socialstructuring. The authorsused electrophoresis to investigatethis possibility. Eighty individualsfrom 14 groupsdistributed over about 10 km were examined at 8 variableloci to determine the degree of geneticvariation among groups.The degree of inbreedingand geneticstructure were assessedby measuringdeviations from Hardy- Weinbergequilibria with pooledgroups, and by lookingfor trendsof geneticdistance, D, with physicaldistance. The estimatesof inbreeding(Wahlund effect) were small (0.015- 0.031) and not significantlydifferent from zero. There may be someincrease in D with distance,but standarderrors were large, and neither samplesize nor the lack of inde- pendenceof the D's were taken into account. The geneticstructure of populationsis a hierarchicalconcept. For birds like these there may be "inbreeding"at severaldifferent levelsdepending on the dispersalpattern. Theselevels include inbreeding within socialgroups (incest), among groups within regions (very restrictedmovement), and amongregions (isolation by distancedue to somewhat restrictedgene flow). The data presentedby these authors suggestthat there is little inbreedingat least at the first 2 levelsin this socialspecies. Thus, through an indirect meansnot requiring a laboriouslong-term study, it was possibleto infer that there is sufficientdispersal to avoid closeinbreeding.--George F. Barrowclough.

77. Genetic variation in Lake Erie Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias). S. I. Gutt- man, G. A. Grau, and A. A. Karlin. 1980. Comp. Biochem.Physiol. 66B:167-169.-- Electrophoresiswas used to examinethe pattern of structuralgenetic variation in 2 Lake Erie coloniesof Great Blue Herons. Forty-six individualswere examined for 28 loci; geneticheterozygosity was found to be low (0.7%). An interestingresult was that nestlingstaken from 4 differentnests in onetree shared a rare allele. In general,this kind of result could be due to: (1) chance,(2) an extreme degreeof philopatryto individualtrees within colonies,(3) cuckoldryor rape of several femalesby a singlemale, or (4) intraspecificnest parasitism. In thiscase the authorsfavor Vol.52, •o. 1 RecentLiterature [89 the possibilityof rape. This could be checkedrelatively easily through somejudicious takingof bloodsamples that neednot involvesacrificing the individuals.The resultitself pointsto the potentialusefulness of electrophoresisin projectsaimed at investigating someof theseinteresting social behavioral patterns.--George F. Barrowclough. 78. Gene flow, effective population sizes, and genetic variance components in birds. G. F. Barrowclough.1980. Evolution 34:789-798.--Barrowclough presents us with the first comprehensive,but as he suggestsstill preliminary, treatment of the genetic structureof evian populations.Conceptually his method for approachingthe problemis elegantlysimple, though I found someof the underlyingmathematics intimidating. Fol- lowingWright and othersBarrowclough uses dispersal to estimategone flow. Different proceduresare used for specieswith different areal distributions.For "continuously" distributedspecies (all passetines)Barrowclough corrects the adult andjuvenile dispersal distributionswhich, when combinedwith estimatesof survivorship,allow calculationof a root mean squaredispersal distance as a gone flow estimator.For "colonial"species (mostlyseabirds), the proportionof individualsexchanged by neighborbreeding clusters is the important gene flow estimator.Both estimatorsare then combinedwith estimates of local densitiesto produce an effective population size (Ne). Barrowcloughuses his calculatedNe to estimateWright's FsT, which as a fixation index here, is an estimateof the degreeof localgenetic differentiation (among dome variance) expected, in the absence of selectionand mutation, to result from drift. The smallerthe Ne, the more likely and pronouncedthe differentiationbetween local populationsas a resultof drift. Basedon his assumptionsand procedures,the Ne'sfor continuouslydistributed bird speciesranged from 176-7678 (FaT= 0.001-0.041), while for colonialspecies Ne = 17.0-64,580 (FaT= 0.0001-0.705). He concludedthat "effectivepopulation sizes are moderateto relatively large and that the magnitudeof the among-demecomponent of geneticvariance, in the absenceof selection,is small for many arian species." Barrowclough'sanalysis follows directly from traditionaltreatments of the sameprob- lem in other taxa and is internallyconsistent. But sinceI agreewith his assessmentof the importanceof Ne and Fa•, I would like to explore someof his assumptions,which could result in significantlydifferent calculationsif altered. For example,his methodof cor- recting dispersalsampling bias (used here, but describedin Bird-Banding49:333-341, 1978) assumesa continuouslysuitable habitat and alwaysincreases the root mean square dispersal.If suitablehabitat were patchilydistributed, his method would overestimate true dispersal.Similarly, his use of Wright'sisolation by distancemodel assumes that individuals are distributedhomogeneously in space.If they are clustered,with expansesof more or lessunoccupied habitat interspersedwith the more denselysettled areas, then his treat- ment will overestimateNe. His densityestimates use the numberof territoriesand assumes one pair per territory. If someterritorial maleswere unmatcd,as seemsto be true in many passetines,then his method would again overestimateNe. Finally, his use of the root mean squareas a gone flow estimatorassumes a bivariatcnormal distributionof dispersaldistances. Observed dispersal distributions, however, are usuallylcptokurtic. As they'become more and more skewed,Barrowclough's assumption of normality causesan increasingoverestimation of the true Ne, though there is a correctionavailable (Wright, Evolution and the Geneticsof PopulationsV. 2, U. of ChicagoPress, 1969:303). Since Barrowclough'sassumptions consistently maximize gone flow estimations, the actualvalues may be smaller(N•) and larger (FAT),given altered, and perhapsmore realistic,assump- tions. While I do quibblewith his numbers,I applaudhis assertion that, "the geneticstruc- ture of natural populationsis of generalinterest because many current modelsin ecology and evolutioninvolve assumptions about the viscosityof breeding populations."Barrow- clough'swork is important and shouldhelp stimulatethe necessaryfieldwork to explore the questionsof interestin the desireddetail.--William M. Shields. 79. G- and C-banding in four related Larus species(Aves). H. Ryttman, H. Te- gelstrom,and H. Jansson.1979. Hereditas91:143-148.---The karyotypesof Larusargen- tatus,L. fuscus,L. marinus,and L. canuswere examined usingtechniques (G-banding and C-banding)that reveal markerson the chromosomearms. These techniqueshave been 90] RecentLiterature J.]field Ornithol. Winter 1981

useful in some groups of organismsfor locating inversionsand translocaticnsamong chromosomesthat superficiallyappear identical.In this case,however, all 4 slcecieswere found to have identicalkaryotypes even using thesebanding techniques. Immunoelectrophoreticalcomparison of sera from Herring Gull (Larus•rgentatus) and LesserBlack-backed Gull (Larusfuscus)(Aves). H. Ryttman, H. Tegelstrom,and H. Jansson.1980. Hereditas 92:113-116.--Antisera were prepared to the blood sera from L. argentatusand L. fuscus.Immunoglobulins were isolatedfrom the antisera,a•d crossed immunoelectrophoresiswas used in an attempt to find immunological(hence genetic) differencesbetween these congeners.There was no difference found between the ho- mologous(within species)and heterologous(between species) reactions. Isozyme differencesamong three related Larus species(Aves). H. Tege[strom,H. Jansson,and H. Ryttman. 1980. Hereditas92:117-122.---Approximately 40 geneticloci were examined electrophoreticallyin a searchfor geneticdifferences betweer. relatively large samplesof L. argentatusand L. fuscus.In additiona few L. minimuswere examined. Six loci were variable. No "fixed" differences were found; that is, there were no loci in which the 3 speciesdid not sharecommon alleles. L. argentatusand L. fuscusform one of the bestknown examplesof a rassenkries.In this casethe taxa form a ring of subspeciesaround the northern hemispherewith the endsof the ring meeting,without extensive hybridization, in northern Europe. Areas of contactand overlap,such as thisone, havebeen extensively studied by ornithologistsfor severaldecades. Most of thesestudies have emphasizeddetailed description.What is need- ed, though,are analyticalstudies that offer the potentialof understandingthe evolutionary processesinvolved in thesezones. One way to attempt this is through the searchfor some kind of informationthat canreduce the problemby linkingit to someaspect of population geneticstheory. In this potentiallyexciting example of sucha reduction,the authorsof the above3 papersfailed to find adequategenetic markers. However, this shouldnot be unexpectedto personsfamiliar with the last 10 yearsof researchin avian genetics.If one thing has been learned it is that the extent of avian geneticdifferentiation is smallby the standardsof suchtaxa as Drosophila,salamanders, rodents, etc. It appearsthat searching for large differences,such as fixationsbetween alleles or chromosomes,between sister speciesis usuallygoing to fail. However,this does not meanthat the soughtafter reduction will be a failure. It has been established that there are often differences in allelic fre- quenciesamong species. Thus, quantitativeanalysis of electrophoreticresults from mod- erate to large samplesof individualsfrequently should be useful.Unfortunately, these authorshave not yet tried this approach.--GeorgeF. Barrowclough. 80. Chicken teeth. T. Dunkle. 1980. Science 80 1:94-95.---Edward Kollar and Chris- topher Fisher incubateda minute portion of chick embryojaw implanted on a mouse embryo tooth bud. The result was 4 peg-shapedteeth. It is concludedthat the chicken lacksthe inducingstimulus to produceteeth but retainsthe geneticapparatus.---C. H. Blake.

FOOD AND FEEDING (see also 30, 31, 40, 41, 43, 64, 84, 88) 81. Comparativeforaging behaviourand efficiencyof adult and juvenile Great Blue Herons. T. E. Quinney and P. C. Smith. 1980. Can. J. Zool. 58:1168-1173.---This studyof Ardeaherodias adds to a growingbody of literaturethat indicatesforaging ability improveswith age and experiencein variousspecies of piscivorousbirds. Adults achieved approximatelytwice the capturesper minute as did juveniles even though pacesper minute and strikesper minute did not vary betweenadults and juveniles.Additionally, juvenilesmade nearly 10 times as many probesper minute as did adults. The authors suggestthat probingmay be a meansof learningbill orientation;no swallowingwas seen followingprobes. Adult birdstook more medium-and large-sizedprey than did juveniles. Smallprey were swallowedwith equalspeed by both age categoriesof birds, butjuveniles took 8 times longer than adults to swallowmedium-sized items. Rain and/or high winds reducedforaging effectiveness for both groupsof herons.--A.John Gatz,Jr. Vol.52, 1•o. 1 RecentLiterature [91

82. Late summer time budget and feeding behaviour of Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa) in southernManitoba. R. A. Wishartand S. G. Scaly.1980. Can.J. Zool. 58:1277- 1282.--In late summer, Marbled Godwitsform post-breedingflocks (6-55 birds in this study) of both adults and juveniles. Flockswcrc observedto rush potential prcdatorsas a group and to have 74% of the birds engagedin the sameactivity at any given time. Time devotedto particularactivities varied throughoutthe day, but overallaverages were: 61.3%--foraging, 19.5%--sleeping, 17.2%--preening or bathing, and 2%--walking, flying, or inactive.Most birds did not forage in areas of strong winds; those that did showedan increasein rate of feedingattempts, but a decreasein both successrate and foragingcfficicncy.--A. John Gatz,Jr.

SONGS AND VOCALIZATIONS (see also 25, 29, 37, 38, 54) MISCELLANEOUS 83. Winter identification of Greater and Lessersand plovers.J. C. Sinclairand G. H. Nicholls. 1980. Br. Birds 73:206-213.--This is another in the continuing seriesof identificationpapers typical of thisjournal. This one differentiatesthe Greater Sand Plover(Charadrius leschenaultii) and LesserSand Plover (Charadrius mongolus). Photographs and one excellentdrawing by P. A. Clanceysupplement the text. The Greater is larger and taller than the Lesser.The mostimportant distinctionis the longer and more robust bill sizeof the Greater.--PatriciaAdair Gowaty. 84. Why woodpeckersdon't need helmets.J. Hansen. 1980. Science80 1(6):93- 94.--By high speedphotography, Philip May and colleaguesshowed that an Acorn Wood- pecker's(Melanerpes formicivorus) beak moved 20-23 ft per secondand deceleratedat about 1000 g on strikinga tree. The beak movesin a straightline and the neckmuscles are tenseat the moment of impact.•C. H. Blake.

BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS 85. The Bird Year--A Book for Birders. J. Davis and A. Baldridge. 1980. The BoxwoodPress, Pacific Grove, CA. 224 p. $5.95.--Thc choiceof title is, I believe,unfor- tunate for thisvolume. The subtitle,"With SpecialReference to the Monterey Bay Area," is somewhathelpful in revealingthe contents.About 100 pagesdeal with bird habitatsof the MontereyBay area and how the birds of thosehabitats use them. I mentionthis first becausethis is the part I found most exciting. The first half of the book presentsbasic ornithologicalinformation on nomenclature,reproduction, breeding behavior, nesting, and moltsand plumagesin a veryreadable text. Treatmentof the literatureis outstanding. The book is written primarily for birders, however,it is not a book that will greatlyaid birdersin identifyingspecies in the field. Once birds have been identified,birders will certainlyfind it usefulfor putting the Monterey Bay area birds in their proper ecological "place."The styleand contentcan bestbe describedas natural historygone scientific.It is a refreshingblend of the two. As a personwho has been through that part of Californiatreated by the book only once, I would have found a map of the area most helpful. I alsowould have found an elaborationof certain, apparentlyoriginal data satisfying,e.g. on p. 121 the wing/tail ratiosof the BurrowingOwl (Athenecunicularia) and the Short-earedOwl (Asioflammeua) (2.11) are said to be "tied for third placeamong the nine speciesof owlsfound in our area." The ratios of the other owls are not given hence one is left wondering what they are and where one can find them in the literature. The chapterentitled "The effectsof developmenton bird life" startedme thinking about biologicaldevelopment but it treats cultural developmentas a lead into bird habitats.That particularchapter is brief but up- to-date, lucid, and succinct. The text is illustratedwith black-and-whitephotographs which nicely supplement pointsin the text. Habitat photographs,especially, aid in creatinga mental pictureof this unique part of the country. An appendix givesbinominals for those plants and mentioned in the text and a checklist of birds for the area. This is much more than a 92] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981

"birds of ..." book and I hope otherswill consultit before preparing similar works.- Richard J. Clark. 86. "Ding": The life of Jay Norwood Darling. D. L. Lendt. 1979. Iowa State Uni- versityPress, Ames. 202 p.--Numerous figures or cartoonsdrawn by "Ding" enliven the pages.The author, a careerpublicist and diplomat, showshis own abundantability in his broad and inclusiveapproach, but there are questionsof completenessand accuracy."I never met Jay Norwood Darling.""I freely admit .... that Jay Darling is not captured within the followingpages. The difficult writing decisionshad nothing to do with what to includebut what to leaveout." What wasexcluded or avoided?"I lived with Ding," but not closelyenough to hear or seesuch as the following:"He would have been appalled at my lack of ecologicalsophistication." He need not have been, the term waslittle or not used in Darling'stime. "Probingthe record of Darling'slife alsoshowed me that he was a fascinatingcombination of seeminglyinconsistent beliefs and attitudes. A man who enjoyedprodigious power of expression,uncommon energy, and immensecommon sense intellect." The same combinationwas manifested by Hitler. For the former Biological Survey,and its work on food habitsLendt statesthat Ding selectedand developedC. Cottam.Actually it wasW. L. (not W. T.) McAtee who effectedthis. "If this biographyis dull it is certainlynot Ding'sfault." That it is inexactmay not be Ding'sfault either. "Sportsmens'heaven is hell for the ducks,"one of Ding'smemorable quotes, would haveenlivened these pages. What elsethan ducksis appreciable?The timesfavored him. World War II was advancing, much to the disbelief and despair of all. It was the season for dictators;weekly newsreels displayed "Uncle Alf" Goebbels,"Unser Hermann," Fran- co, Mussolini,and Stalin. Darling saw around us correspondingpersonalities. It was not his successin cartooningthat broughthim incomeand renown.Yet for all his excitement and effort, he resigned a year and a few months after accepting his task in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, BiologicalSurvey. His dictum, so he told his aideswas: "So live that you can look any man in the eye and tell him to go to hell." But such diplomacydid not win support for what he demanded, nor for the food habitssection. One appropriation anecdote: Senator X to Senator Y: "I see you cut out that $100,000 for x bird." Senator Y: "Yeah, we cut that out." X: "Well, I'd like to have that left in." SenatorY: "Oh, all right."So pulling out a pen he restoredit. Ding lackedexperience in suchmatters. He would properlybill appropriatorsfor what wasneeded, only to learn that he shouldhave applied for twicewhat he hoped to get.--Leon Kelso. 87. The Feather Mite Family Eustathiidae(Acarina: Sarcoptiformes).P. C. Peter- son, W. T. Atyeo, and W. W. Moss. 1980. Monogr. 21, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. p. 143.- Major systematicmonographs of this nature are often unknown to ornithologists,so this one, involvingan ectoparasitefamily restrictedto swiftsand crestedswifts, should be of interest. The appendiceslisting hostsand their parasitesare of particular note because many of the parasitespecies are not host-specific;bird speciesoften harbor 2, or asmany as 8 feather mite species.Different subspeciesof the sameswift speciesoften have dif- ferent parasitespecies. All 64 mite speciesare described,illustrated, and keyed.--David W. Johnston. 88. The Life of Owls. (Zhizn Soy.) Yu. B. Pukinskii. 1977. In series: Lives of our birds and wildlife. No. 1. LeningradUniversity Press, Leningrad. 240 p. (In Russian.)-- "Ohhow I lovethe twilight, especially when I'm borneaway in thoughtto thepast. f Whereare you goldendays?" (Goncharof.) Largely through theseaccounts twilight is the owls'"witching hour." What worksdeserve translation? This is definitelya candidate.There is a foreword, distinctiveand engagingand notjust a formal potpourri of words.Then follows:general featuresof owl biology;some history; owl adaptationto nocturnallife; feather detailsand plumagestages; noiseless flight; feather sheddingand molt; owl vision;hearing; the ex- pressivefacial disc; food and modesof foraging; diurnal activity rhythms; food trans- portation and storage;prey pursuit; modesof food analysis;food chain lability; foraging and territorial competition;enemies and survival;territorial affinity and persistence;the sedentaryand the transient;urbanization; owls' family life; courtshipand vocalization;do owlsbuild nests?;clutches and brooding;young growth and development;parental care; protectionand conservation;owls of the SovietUnion; and owl diversity.Twelve species Vol.52, No. 1 RecentLiterature [93 or species'groups are described.While illustrationsleave somethingto be desired, the general accountsare very inclusive.Best are sectionson vocalizationand general ecolo- gy.--Leon Kelso. 89. Migrationof Birds. F. C. Lincoln.Revised by S. R. Peterson.1979. Circular 16. Fish & Wildlife Service,U.S. Departmentof the Interior. 119 p., paper, $4.00.--Lincoln's popular 1950 book of the sametitle has been largely rewritten by Peterson,although similarchapter headings have been retained.The many black-and-whitemaps of migra- tion routesand patternsin the 1950 edition havebeen redone slightlyand all are now in color, thereby making the book a very attractiveone. As with the earlier edition, the strongpoints of the book are the emphasison the varioustypes of migrationroutes, as exemplifiedby maps of a number of species,and the timing of migration, as depicted through the useof isochronallines on the maps.Peterson has vastly updated the literature, thoughone maywonder why a bookpublished in 1979 hasreferences only through 1973. Although nearly all topicsof migration are mentioned,the book focusestoo much on migrationat the specieslevel and not enoughon migrationat the levelof the individual bird or the "population"(a collectionof individualsof different speciesmigrating over the samearea at the sametime), both in terms of proximate and ultimate factors.Topics suchas wind drift, the coastaleffect on immature passerinesin fall, morning reorientation flights, and nocturnal flight calls are not covered. I was particularly disappointedthat there is so little emphasison the importanceof globalor continentalwind patternsin the shapingof migrationroutes. Peterson, in speakingof the AmericanGolden Plover (Plu- vialis dominica),states that the speciesavoids migrating north over the Atlantic Ocean becausefoggy conditionsalong the coastand frozen soil in the Northeastwould be haz- ardousto its survival(p. 84). I stronglysuspect that the primary reasonthat this plover, and essentiallyall other nonpelagicspecies of birds, avoid a long trans-Atlanticflight in the springis that continentalwind patternsare unfavorable(i.e., have a northerly com- ponent) for such a crossingat that season,yet these winds are favorablein the fall (see Richardson, Ibis 116:172-193, 1974). Thus, the book is basicallya staticview of migration (looking at range maps and migrationpatterns) and not a dynamicone. The layman and the amateur ornithologist should find the book useful and enjoyableto read, but the professionalornithologist is looking for a more modern treatisethat emphasizeswhy and howbirds migrate.--Harry E. LeGrand, Jr. 90. Wildlife and people.C. M. Kirkpatrick(ed.). 1979.Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, IN. 191 p. $10.75.--Sponsoredby the Department of Forestryand Natural Resources and the Indiana CooperativeExtension Service of Purdue University,The 1978John S. Wright ForestryConference was held at PurdueUniversity on 23 and 24 February1978. The proceedingsare presentedin this book. Most of the paperspresented dealt entirely or chieflywith wildlife other than birds; 4 papers dealt entirely with birds. Particularlytimely wasa paper by B. L. Monroe and L. S. Cronholm on "Health and managementproblems of Starling-blackbirdroosts" (pp. 58-62), basedon studiesin Ken- tucky and Tennesseewhere large-scalebird-killing programshave been conductedre- cently. Monroe and Cronholm concludedthat killing the birds at roostingsites is only a short-termsolution to problemscaused by the birds in nearbylivestock feedlots and wheat fields.Also noted was the fact that the possibilityof disseminationby birds of hog virus or transmissiblegastroenteritis (TGE) would not be eliminated by killing all blackbirds and Starlingssince other birds alsovisit hoglots. Additionally, positive information is not availableshowing that birds act as vectorsof TGE. Although exposure of humans to diseaserisks is often citedas an importantjustification for eliminationof blackbird-Starling roosting congregations,Monroe and Cronholm noted that histoplasmosis,the disease consideredto be most commonlyassociated with the congregations,is a problem only under a specificset of circumstancesthat can be managedwithout killing the birds. Local problemswith noise and droppingsof blackbird-Starlingroosting congregations can be resolvedmost cheaplyby harassingthe birds and thus inducing them to changetheir choiceof a roostingsite. In a paper on "Avian communitiesand habitat associationsin citiesand suburbs"(pp. 94] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Winter 1981

7-24), R. M. DeGraf reportedon a studyof bird habitatassociations in suburbanAmherst and urban Springfield,Massachusetts. Total bird densitywas almost 3 timeshigher in the urban than in the suburbanarea, but the number of breedingspecies was much higher in the suburbanthan in the urban area. In a paper on "Effectsof a program for raptor researchand rehabilitationon raptor management"(pp. 42-48), P. T. Redig reportedon a programconducted by the Collegeof Veterinary Medicineof the Universityof Min- nesotaproviding medical treatment for birds of prey brought to their laboratory.Just under 40 of 80 eaglestreated were returned to the wild. D. A. Manuwal presenteda paper on "Effect of man on marine birds: a review"(pp. 140-160) and discussedthe major interactionsbetween marine birds and man. Manuwalconcludes that oil pollution and chemical contamination of the oceans are now the most serious threats to seabirds. The paper citesnearly 60 referencesbut must be judged a superficialtreatment of its subject. One canonly hopethat conferencessuch as the one reportedon in theseproceedings will do somethingto start neededresearch on the role of birds and other wildlife in maintaininga congenialenvironment for people.--PaulA. Stewart.