MEARNS on Birds at Fort Klamath. 1 f " 1 



A PARTIAL LIST OF THE BIRDS OF FORT KLAMATH, 

 ORKGON T , COLLECTED BY LIEUTENANT WILLIS WIT- 

 TICH, U. S. A., WITH ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS 

 BY THE COLLECTOR. 



BY EDGAR A. MEARNS. 



This article is compiled from notes and collections forwarded to 

 me, at different times, by Lieutenant AVillis Wittich, during his 

 residence of four years at Fort Klamath. The fort is situated in 

 Jackson County, in Southwestern Oregon. Latitude, 42° 43' ; 

 longitude 121° 55" ;* altitude, 4,200 feet, above the sea, — above 

 the limit of oak-trees. It is on the eastern margin of a valley in the 

 Cascade Mountains. The valley runs north and south, is about 

 twenty miles long, and is seven miles wide at the point where the 

 post is located. Toward the south it widens somewhat, and extends 

 to Uppe'r Klamath Lake, about seven miles distant. High hills 

 and mountains wall in the valley on the north, east, and west. 

 Among them, Scott's Peak is the most piominent to the north, 

 Mount Pitt in the range to the east, and farther south in the same 

 range is seen, rising in the distance, the perpetually snow-clad sum- 

 mit of Mount Shasta. Williamson's River, flowing from the north- 

 eastward, empties into Upper Klamath Lake at a point about 

 twelve miles from the post. There are, besides, six streams, the 

 waters of all of which, excepting one, are of crystal clearness, 

 which flow through the valley within a short distance of the post. 

 Ducks, Geese, and other Water-fowl, abound upon the lake and 

 marshes in the neighborhood of Wood River, at all seasons of the 

 year. The country is well forested in most places. The trees are 

 of large size, and mainly evergreens, — pine, fir, spruce, and juni- 

 per, — with a mingling of aspens. 



Upper Klamath Lake is one of a chain of large lakes composing 

 the Klamath Basin. These lakes abound in shoal water and low 

 islands, and are frequently bordered by marshes of tide. " These 

 wide surfaces, .... densely covered with rushes, afford most con- 

 venient retreats for a large number of swimming and wading birds, 



* Extracted from the Official Record of the Quartermaster Department of the 

 Army. 



VOL. IV. 11 



