Beebe on Geographic Variation in Birds Geographic Variation in Birds with Especial Reference to the Effects of Humidity C. William Beebe
[review-book]
J. A. A.
1908
The AUK: A Quarterly Journal of Ornithology
Known as the Early Journal Content, this set of works include research articles, news, letters, and other writings published in more than 200 of the oldest leading academic journals. The works date from the mid--seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. We encourage people to read and share the Early Journal Content openly and to tell others that this resource exists. People may post this content online or redistribute in any way for non--commercial purposes. Read more about Early Journal
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... ntent at http://about.jstor.org/participate--jstor/individuals/early-journal--content. JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary source objects. JSTOR helps people discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content through a powerful research and teaching platform, and preserves this content for future generations. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not--for--profit organization that also includes Ithaka S+R and Portico. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Recent Literature. [auk sequence. "The total number of species and subspecies contained in the catalog is 383, of which 162 are breeders. Species not actually taken within the limits of the state are distinguished by being put in brackets. Of this kind there are 30, which subtracted from 383 leave as the present status (July 8, 1907) 353 actually observed species and subspecies for our state." The manner of occurrence and seasons of migration are stated with fulness, and authorities are cited for,the records of the rarer species; the data respecting the former abundance and the extirpation of the Wild Pigeon and Carolina Paroquet are very fully given, as are the notes respecting the great decline in numbers of many other species. Taken as a whole, Mr. Widmann's 'Catalog' as an excellent summary of the ornithology of Missouri, for which his fellow ornithologists may well feel deeply grateful.-J. A. A. Jones on ' The Development of Nestling Feathers.' -1" The purpose of this paper," says the author "is to give a more complete account of the development of the down, or Neossoptile, than has been given by previous writers and to show the true relation of this structure to the first definitive feather." This relation is thus stated: "The first down and its succeeding definitive feather are produced by one continuous growth, and therefore cannot be regarded as two distinct feathers. The first down is the plumulaceous tip of the first definitive feather." Contrary to the conclusion of some previous writers, the neossoptile is shown not to possess a' shaft nor a true quill, but to be always in direct continuity with the barb-vanes of the first definitive feather. In other words, the neossoptile is only a more or less differentiated distal part of the first teleoptile. These' investigations are based on the study of a large number of species, representing many families, and relate to (1) the development of the nestling down (plates i-iv, and (2) the relation of the down to the first definitive feather (plates v-viii). The first definitive feather with down attached is shown in figures 56-138 (plates v-viii) from a large number of species "by direct prints from the feathers." The paper is thus one of much interest and an important contribution to the subject under investigation.-J. A. A.
doi:10.2307/4070266
fatcat:5oxdqrt3rbe65d3ycmz2pkrdbe