ACADEMY or SCIENCES. 71 



v. Tulare Valley. 



The next region of importance is the San Joaquin or Tulare Valley. This 

 is 250 miles long and 60 wide, lying between Lat. 35^ and SS'^, and nowhere 

 more than 500 feet above the sea. the surface being nearly flat or slightly slop- 

 ing toward the center. Large lakes and marshes occupy the bottom of tliis 

 basin, and numerous rivers running chiefly from the east empty into them, 

 those north of Lat. 36° 30' uniting to form the San Joaquin River, which is 

 navigable south to Lat. 36° 45'. There is very little timber along the streams 

 or in the higher parts of the valley, and much of the dry land is so arid in 

 summer as to be almost a desert, though nowhere quitc^without vegetation. 



I have travelled rapidly through, but had no opportunity to collect in this 

 region, and very little has been done towards developing its natural history. 

 The following species have been found there and not northward : 



BIRDS. 



1. S^rnium occidentale'X.A'STVS, California Barred-Owl. 



2. Stellula calliope Gould, Calliope Humming Bird. 



.** 

 Some have been obtained near the northern limit of the valley, Lat. 38° 



■which do not seem to range farther north, as : 



1. Caf/ierpes Mexico irns SwAi'ss., Mexican AVren. 



2. Peuxea rvficeps Cass., Red capped Finch. 



3. Spln/rapicus tlu/roideus Cass., Brown Woodpecker. 



4. Tantalus loculator LiN\., AVood ll)is. 



5. Dendrocygna fulva Gmel., Brown Tree Duck. 



REPTILES. 



1. Sceloporux longipes Baird, Long-footed Lizard. 



2. Sceloporus biseriatus Hallow., Two-stri])ed Lizard. 



3. Crotaphylus WisUzeni Bd. & Grd., Banded Lizard. 



4. Cnemidophorua tigris Baird & Grd., Tiger Lizard. 



5. Uta gracw-sa Hallow., Slender Lizard. 



6. Xandisia vigilis Baird, Xantus' Lizard. 



7. Diadophis punctatus Baird & Grd., Spotted Ring Snake. 



8. Eutania Hammondii Kennic, Hanmiond's Garter Snake. 



I may here remark that I conld find no birds in September in that extensive 

 forest surrounding Visalia not seen more abundantly in the richer valleys near the 

 coast, though a longer residence in spring would probably furnish many southern 

 species and interesting waterfowl. Amon^,' the immense numbers of waterfowl 

 said to frequent Tulaj'e Lake there will probably be found some new to Califor- 

 nia, especially among the summer visitors. The other species characteristic of 

 the valley must be such as prefer dry woodless plains to forests and mountains. 

 Seven species of fish have been obtained in the rivers not found elsewhere, and 

 there are probably many more. 



VI. Southern Sierra Nevada. 

 The Region of the Southern Sierra Nevada lies directly cast of this valley. 



