196 NOTES ON CALIFORNIA ANIMALS. 



Ik'is i>iol);il»ly far surpass those of any otber rcj^iou in Mie Tniti-n 

 States. 



Wheat j;rowin<? is carried on most extensively and the ranebers are 

 compelled to defend their growing crops from invading Geese, regularly 

 employing " goose herders" to patrol their lands and frighten away the 

 numberless feathered marauders. One great ranch in Colusa County, 

 of more than fifty thousand acres, employed quite a iormidable company 

 of men who rode about with repeating ritles, tiring among the Geese as 

 they settled in lloeks in the more distant tracts, causing them to take 

 jkving. This is a common practice throughout the valley. 



Branta nigricans (Lawr.). Jllach- Brant. 



Common in winter in the vicinity of the coast, but not met with in the 

 interior. 



Philacte canagica (Sevast.)- Emperor Goose. 



I was much surprised when Mr. Fiebig,.of Eureka, told me that 

 the fine mounted specimen of this far northern bird, contained in his 

 collection, had been killed at Humboldt Bay. 1 was (piite familiar 

 With the species, having collected specimens of it in Northern Alaska, 

 its natural habitat, but 1 little suspected that it would wander as far 

 south as C'alifornia. The si)ecimen was taken in the winter of 1884. 



Oior columbianus i.Ord.)- U'liistrnii/ Swuii. 



A winter visitant from the north to the larger lakes and streams ot 

 the region. 



Olor buccinator (Kicli.)- Tnrmiictcr ^waii. 



Uare; visits California during the migrations, according to Dr. Xew- 

 berry. 



Kiuiiily IBIDIDtE. Ihisks. 



Plegadis guarauna (Liuii.). IVIiiie-faced Glos.'iij Una. 



Found in the northeastern part of the State by I\lr. llenshaw, in 

 1877-78. 



Family AKDEID.E. IIkuons, Butekns, etc. 



Botaurus lentiginosus (xMuntag.). .liiiericnn l',U(cr)i. 



Found in large numbers on upper Titt IJiver by Dr. Newberry, col- 

 lected at Fort Crook by Lieutenant Parkinson, and reported by Mr. 

 riel)ig as of irregular occurrence at Humboldt IJay. 



Botaurus exilis ((iuii'l). Len><t Jiitinii. 



Found rather common in the Sacramento Valley by Dr. Newberry. 



Ardea lierodias l,imi. Grent lllite Jhron. 



A coumion resident, wandering well into the mountains in following 

 the streams. Found in all i)arts of the country that were visited. 



