Evening star., 1940-02-13

Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
The sudden appearance Of new bird,
hitherto unknown anywhere In the world,
IN one Of the best known areas in the
United States was announced today
through the Smithsonian Institution.
It may constitute, ornithologists sus-
pect, one of the few cases known of the
observable evolution OF new species
among the higher animals.
Most of the birds in the world prob
ably have been here as long as man
himself New species reported simply
have not been discovered before. They
have. presumably, been there all the
time. While this explanation is not en-
tirely excluded in the present case it is
highly improbable in region like the
panhandle" Of West Virginia, explored
by scores OF amateur and professional
ornithologists for more than century.
Finding Of new bird now is a rare
event in the United States. The last
such find was 81 years ago in very
isolated and little known locality in
Florida.
The new bird belongs to the general
family Of wood warblers. which includes
some OF the most familiar singers and
most colorful small birds known in the
New World. The families includes more
than 30 species in the Eastern United
States.
Last May Karl W. Haller, ornitholoeist
OF Bethany College, West Virginia, while
crossing a section OF scrub pine growth.
was attracted by a peculiar sing-a
rapid, buzzing trill ascending the scale
and dropping of at the end, which was
repeated quickly. twice in succession.
1t was quite similar to the song OF the
parula warbler, well known in the area.
When he located the bird, however. it
was quite different in appearance, being
similar in coloring to the yellow
throated warbler. Southern bird never
found IN that spot, so far as Is known
When collected it also was found to
have some characters of the parula
warbler 1t was a small bird with a
yellowish olive patch on the back, q
trace OF brown on the sides and fanks
tinge of raw sienna across the throat
and little white on the tail.
This particular bird was. a male and
by itself, signified very little. 1t might
be hybrid between the parula and
the yellow breasted warbler, although
the latter had never been reported IN
the region. The real significance of the
ma came when another bird was shot
in sycamore-willow swamp about 1s
miles away. This was a female, almost
identical in every respect with the male,
and unquestionably fertile. She soon
would have laid eggs if not collected.
This Is the acid test of "species'-
the ability to perpetuate itself
Search OF the bird collection of the
Smithsonian Institution, in which are
kept types of all known American
birds. failed to show any duplicate of
this West Virginia songster. Similar
examination of bird collections of other
American museums likewise has failed
to reveal anything of the kind. There
seems no alternative except to record
Mr.. Haller's find as new bird-either
something entirely new in the world or
something which has remained hidden
until now.
The last new bird found in the con-
tinental United States was the Capa
Sable seaside sparrow, first reported
from the Southern tip Of Florida in 1919
inns was from an isolated locality which
mad not been very thoroughly explored
Tnere are few areas in the United
States which have not been thoroughly
explored during the past century by
amateur or professional ornithologist.
Supposedly every feathered creature has
oeen described over and over again and
this is especially true for conspicuous
birds like songsters Only occasional
minor varieties within species now are
reported as new.
so, according to DR.. Herbert Fried
man, curator of birds of the Smith
sonian Institution, it seems very pe-
culiar that this particular bird could
have remained hidden for manv gen.
erations. 1t does not seem particularly
Secluslve 1n~its habits or habitat but
might easily have escaped notice be-
cause OF its resemblance to other
warblers. The possibility remains that
this new species" is a new creation
an example Of that rare phenomenon in
nature, fertile cross between two
species. In fact, says DR.. Friedman.
there Is one such case in the warbler
family itself, that Of Kirkland's warbler
which has very narrow breeding range
in Northern Michigan,
The little creature has been given
the scientific name of Dendroica poto-
mac, or Sutton's warbler.
Discussion Of Debt
Situation Prompts Question:.