A CATALOGUE OF THE BIRDS OF LOWER CALIFORNIA, 

 MEXICO. 



BY WALTER E. BRYANT. 



The present paper upon the birds of the peninsula of 

 Baja (Lower) California, Mexico, originally written as a 

 report upon a collection made by the waiter in the vicinity 

 of Magdalena Bay in 1888, and wdthheld from publication 

 in order to include the results of his contemplated field 

 work of 1889, covering a much greater extent of territory, 

 has, through the valuable aid of Mr. L. Belding and Mr. A. 

 W. Anthony, been enlarged to embrace the known avi-fauna 

 or the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. 



The peninsula of Lower California, particularly the ex- 

 treme southern part and Gulf side, has lately attracted con- 

 siderable attention as an ornithological field. Many new 

 species and subspecies have rewarded the undertaking of 

 the few individuals who have visited the region, but until 

 the past two years the researches have been conducted 

 mostly in the vicinity of Cape St. Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, 

 La Paz, and elswhere on the Gulf shore, and for a short 

 distance inland. With the exception of a few places in the 

 upper part of the peninsula, the western side and interior 

 has been practically unexplored by ornithologists. 



Mr. John Xantus, in April, May and June, 1859, explored 

 from Cape St. Lucas to San Jose del Cabo on the eastern 

 side, and touched at Todos Santos on the west coast. Mr. 

 Belding informs me that, according to his recollection, the 

 Consul at La Paz had told him ^that Mr. Xantus had spent 

 some six months there. It is possible that I have not done 

 Mr. Xantus full justice in this paper, some of the species 

 which are in Mr. Belding's lists are not given in his, from 

 which it is hardly fair to assume that he (Xantus) did not 

 observe them. Mr. Belding says: *'It appears quite likely 



'2d Ser., Vol. II. December 17, 1889. 



