PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Jan., 



BIRDS OF THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS, CALIFORNIA: 

 A PROBLEM IN DISTRIBUTION. 



BY MALCOLM P. ANDERSON AND JOSEPH GRINNELL. 



The birds of the following list were taken or observed by Malcolm P. 

 Anderson in the extreme northwestern part of California, between Sep- 

 tember 6, 1901, and March 10, 1902. His field-notes form the basis of 

 the present paper, while Joseph Grinnell is responsible for the critical 

 remarks on specimens and distribution. 



The region explored occupies the northwestern corner of Siskiyou 

 county, close to the Oregon boundary. Most of the observations per- 

 tain to the region of Horse and Seiad creeks, which head in the Siskiyou 

 range. Horse creek flows into the Klamath river from the north about 

 four miles below the old mining camp called Oak Bar, and about nine 

 miles above the mouth of Scott river. Seiad creek joins the Klamath 

 near Seiad Post Office, which is eleven miles below Scott river, and 

 therefore twenty miles from Horse creek. Although these two streams 

 empty so far apart they head near together, there being but one ridge 

 between the main branch of each. 



Oak Bar is at an approximate altitude of 2,800 feet, while the crest of 

 the Siskiyou Mountains, some seventeen miles north of the Klamath 

 river, is 7,000 feet in elevation. The highest points of the range in the 

 neighborhood of Horse creek approach 8,000 feet. West of Seiad creek 

 the country changes abruptly, becoming far rougher, with the peaks 

 in some instances rising higher. Near the mouths of both Horse and 

 Seiad creeks the canyons expand into valleys, which are occupied l^y a 

 few farmer-miners. The valley of Seiad creek is much the larger and is 

 known as Seiad Valley. After the first of November camp was made 

 about ten miles up Horse creek, at a little farm called Grater's ranch. 



The region under consideration is covered with an open forest ex- 

 tending from the Klamath up to within a few hundred feet of the 

 summit of the range. Here the trees become scattering and in places 

 give way to large stretches of chaparral, with here and there mead- 

 ows in which grass grows waist high unless disturbed by cattle. 



The Life Zones represented in the region seem to be : Transition, which 

 extends from the Klamath up to about the 6,000-foot contour line, and 

 Canadian, which caps the range, with perhaps dilute Hudsonian in 



