168 



Mr. C. J. Maynard, of Ipswich, o;ave an interesting 

 sketch of the mechanism of the flight of birds, which he 

 illustrated by a series of preparations of the breast bones, 

 and by drawings ou the blackboard. He also alluded to 

 the means by which animals belonging to other classes 

 are enabled to fly with a greater or less degree of perfec- 

 tion ; such as the bats, flying fishes, flying reptiles, etc. 



A discussion on some points of structure followed, par- 

 ticipated in by Messrs. F. W. Putnam, A. S. Packard, 

 Jr., and others. 



Mr. F. W. Putnam read the followinsf communication : 



O 



NOTES ON THE BIUD-FAUNA OF THE SALT LAKE VALLEY AND 

 THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE WAHSATCH MOUNTAINS. 



By Robert Ridgwat. 



The recently publislied paper of Mr. .J. A. Allen* upon the birds 

 collected and observed by liiin in the vicinity of Ogdeu, iu the Salt 

 Lake Valley, has called the attention of ornithologists to that field ; 

 and has, moreover, particularly attracted those interested in the sub- 

 ject of the geographical distribution of North American birds. 



While Mr. Allen's observations were made during the season of the 

 autumnal migration, I had the good fortune to explore nearly the 

 same ground during the breeding season, f or when the summer fauna 

 was stationary. Combining, therefore, the results of the two explo- 

 rations, and taking into additional consideration that we collected iu 

 localities a few miles apart — Mr. Allen at Ogdeu and I at and about 

 Salt Lake City — the character of the avi-fauna of the western water- 

 shed of the Wahsatch may be pretty well shown. 



*See Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., Vol. 

 iii, No. 6, July, 187'2. Part viii, List of the Birds c<jIIocted in the vicinity of Ogdeu, 

 Utah Territory, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 8, 1871; with Aunotatious. pp. lUl-173. 

 (Species 137.) 



fit is fitting to i^tate liere that my invc.'stigatious were made under tlie auspices 

 of tlie government, I being attachoil to tlie U. S. Geoh)gical Survey of the Wth 

 parallel, as zoologist. Mr. Clarence ICing, U. S. Geologi.-^t in charge of the Survey, 

 throughout tlie continuance of the work, offered me every possible facility. The 

 general report upon tlie birds collected and observed by .Mr. King's Survey is uow 

 in press ;uid nearly couiploted, and will ere long be before the public. 



