Dr. E. Coues. — From Arizona to the Pacific. 259 



XXII. — From Arizona to the Pacific. By Elliott 

 Coues, M.A., M.D. 



The month spent in slowly passing over the five hundred miles 

 that lie between Fort Whipple, in Arizona, and the coast of 

 Southern California at San Pedro, afforded me a fine opportunity 

 of comparing the Ornis of the two regions, which, though pos- 

 sessing much in common, are yet in many points strikingly 

 contrasted with each other. A running commentary upon the 

 more marked ornithological features of the regions traversed 

 may be of interest ; albeit the remarks that follow are little 

 more than a collection of the heterogeneous and disjointed notes 

 with which a travelling naturalist's journal is always found 

 crammed. 



From Fort Whipple to Fort Mojave, the nearest point on the 

 Colorado river, is a distance of 161 miles in a nearly straight 

 line a little north of west. The nature of the country is such 

 that hardly any change from the Whipple features are to be 

 noticed until the river is nearly reached. At Beale's Springs, 

 a point I'ather more than halfway, I first noticed Pipilo aberti 

 and P. mesoleucus, two species abundant in the Colorado valley, 

 but never noticed at Fort Whipple, though found some twenty 

 miles south of that place. As we approach the river, we have 

 an unfailing sign that other species are soon to be encountered, 

 in the increased number and variety of Cactacece, and their 

 greater luxuriance of growth. And, sure enough, I found, on a 

 dry barren plain covered chiefly with Opuntia, Cerei, and other 

 cactuses, the rare and hardly-known Harporhynchus lecontii. 

 A fine specimen, pi'ocured September 30th, 1865, is the second 

 one known to naturalists, the type of the species (procured by 

 my friend Dr. J. L. Leconte, at Fort Yuma, California) having 

 remained unique up to the present time. I think it is a good 

 species, quite distinct from H. crissalis, to which it is most 

 nearly allied. Both inhabit the whole valley of the Colorado 

 and Gila rivers, and, though thus associating, seem constantly 

 to preserve their characters. They are shy and retiring birds, 

 frequenting the brush and thickets which, to a greater or less 

 extent, cover the dry plains, and keep much on the ground, 



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