BREWSTER : BIRDS OF THE CAPE DISTRICT, LOWER CALIFORNIA. 



Narrative. 



Gulf Trip. — Landing at La Paz on January 24, Mr. Frazar remained 

 in the immediate neighborhood of that place until February 26, when 

 he embarked in a small vessel and visited successively the islands of 

 Espiritu Santo, San Jose, Montserrat, and Carmen, which lie stretched 

 out in a series or chain in the Gulf of California to the northwai'd of La 

 Paz and not far from the eastern coast of the Peninsula. He describes 

 them as " all alike, very hilly, almost devoid of vegetation," and practi- 

 cally without water excepting where it is obtained by digging. 



On Carmen Island, the largest of the series, he spent three days, dur- 

 ing which he skirted the entire southern shore, landing at several differ- 

 ent places. There were but few birds, and most of these were waders 

 or water fowl. The only species of which specimens were obtained 

 were the Large-billed, San Benito, Brewer's, and Desert Sparrows, the 

 American Raven, the St. Lucas Sparrow Hawk, the Black-bellied and 

 Wilson's Plovers, the Least and Spotted Sandpipers, Frazar's Oyster- 

 catcher (of which two specimens, including the type, were taken here), 

 the Western and Heermann's Gulls, the Farallone Cormorant, and the 

 American Eared Grebe. In addition to these Mr. Frazar mentions see- 

 ing a Western Mockingbird, a few Verdins and Guatcatchers, an Orange- 

 crowned Warbler, one or two Costa's Hummingbirds and a number of 

 Fish Hawks. 



On March 10 Mr. Frazar landed on the shore of the Peninsula oppo- 

 site Carmen Island, and proceeded inland some three or four miles to the 

 base of the Victoria Mountains,^ crossing a belt of country covered with 

 dense brush and having much the same bird fauna as the region im- 

 mediately about La Paz, save that a number of the species which occur 

 at the latter place were apparently wanting in this locality. 



The next day was spent in a ravine some three miles in length, which 

 penetrates deep into the heart of the mountains, and forms the course 

 of a slender, trickling stream, the only running water, it was said, which 

 at that time existed among these mountains. Here he found a flock of 

 Arkansas Goldfinches, considerable numbers of Xautus's Humming- 

 birds, a female Allen's Hummingbird, a few pairs of Black Pewees, a 

 Phainopepla, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk, besides many species (none of 

 which are enumerated) which he had previously noted at La Paz. 



^ A subgroup or chain of the Sierra de la Gigantea range, not to be confounded 

 with the Victoria mountains south of La Paz. 



