PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 527 



There is iiotLiiig known as to the history of the type specimen, the 

 Museum record giving simply the locality as above quoted. 



I have for a long time hesitated to describe this bird as a new species, 

 having an idea that it might perhaps i^rove an abnormal example of JE. 

 collaris, but that such is not the case 1 am now quite convinced, since I 

 have had the opportunity to examine large series of the latter species, 

 including sijecimens from Chili. 



CATAr,0«UE OF A C'OI>I.Et'TffO!V OF BIRD!^ ITffABE AT VARIOUS 



]POBi\T.6S AB^©IV« TME WESTERIV €OAS'ff OF t.O'lVEK CAI^EFORIVIA, 

 JVOKTH OF CAPE ST. EUGEIVEO. 



BY L. BEI.OIIVG. 

 [Edited by E. Eidgway. ] 



[The most important result of Mr. Belding's explorations along the 

 western coast of Lower California is the discovery of the fact that, as fiir 

 south at least as Cerros Island and Sta. Eosalia Bay (or to latitude 

 about 28^ north) the bird-fauna presents no differences whatever from 

 that of the southern coast of California, in the vicinity of San Diego. The 

 coast between Sta. Eosalia Bay and Cape St. Lucas being entirely un- 

 explored zoologically, it is of course unknown where the San, Diego 

 fauna merges into, or gives way to, that of the cape district. Since, 

 however, we are accustomed to look to topographical indications as 

 a probable solution of questions of this kind, it seems not unlikely that 

 the promontory of Cape St. Eugenio, which, as a lateral offshoot from 

 the main range extends quite to the sea-coast on the south side of the 

 bay in question, may form the dividing line; but it is, of course, quite 

 possible that the San Diego fauna may extend much farther toward 

 the cape. This question, however and that of how far northward along 

 the eastern side of the peninsula the peculiar fauna of the cape dis- 

 trict extends, can only be decided by further investigation. — R. R.] 



I. Coronados Islands, about 20 miles south and west of San Diego. 



These islands are small and rocky, and situated about 10 miles off" the 

 coast of Lower California. The larger island is inhabited by several 

 species of reptiles which are found also on the mainland, thus affording 

 good evidence of former connection with the peninsula. 



A few birds only were taken on and in the vicinity of these islands, 

 May IG and 17, the more important of which are the following : 

 1. Hseniatopus palliatus Temm. 



[A single specimen, collected May 17, is the only example of this 

 species in the National Museum from any locality on the Pacific coast of 

 North America north of Mazatlau. Not mentioned in Mr. Belding's 

 notes. — R. R.] 



