576 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [July, 



ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS AND MAMMALS FROM MOUNT SANHEDRIN,1I 



CALIFORNIA, 



BY WITMER STONE. 



(With Field Notes by A. S. Bunnell.) 



The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has recently se- 

 cured a valuable collection of Calif ornian birds and mammals, formerly 

 the property of Mr. A. S. Bunnell, of Berkeley. Mr. Bunnell collected 

 most of his specimens in the neighborhood of Berkeley and about Mount 

 Tallac in the Sierras, both of which localities have received consideralDle 

 study of late years, especially with regard to their avifauna. The most 

 interesting portion of the collection, however, comes from Mount Sanhe- 

 drin, in ^lendocino county, and as practically nothing has been pub- 

 lished upon the fauna of this region, it seems desirable to present the 

 results of Mr. Bunnell's work. In reply to my request for informa- 

 tion as to the nature of the country, he has very kindly furnished me 

 with the following account, which I quote in full. 



"I was located at Lierlie's ranch, 2,100 feet elevation, which is a 

 cluster of cottages on the north side of a range of spruce-covered hills 

 that rise from Thomas creek, a tributary of Eel river. On the opposite 

 side of this creek from the ranch rises Mount Sanhedrin, which attains 

 an elevation of about 5,000 feet. The whole country is covered with 

 Douglass Spruce and Bull Pine forests on the north sides of the hills, 

 with a few cedars in the shady parts. In more level places there are 

 madronos and black oaks, and on exposed sunny slopes either manza- 

 nita and other brush or else grassy clearings. Where the forests are 

 not deep there is much underbrush, and along Thomas creek are alders 

 and willows. The creek is a wild trout stream about twenty feet in 

 width, tumbling throughout its length, while Eel river is about thirty 

 yards wide. There is an abundance of water, although the region lies 

 east of the humid coast belt, and there are no redwoods to be found. 



''The ranch is in the transition zone, apparently nearly on the bound- 

 ary, as one can hear at the same time the songs of the Russet-back and 

 Dwarf Hermit Thrushes and the calls of the Valley Quail and Plumed 

 Partridge. Mount Sanhedrin runs up into the Hudsonian, and on its 

 top, where the snow disappears in May, are found the Thick-biUed 

 Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet and ■Mountain Chickadee. The top 



