A FIRST GLANCE AT THE BIRDS 



The long coast line of California is the home of innumer- 

 able species of sea birds, some of which wander over the 

 boundless ocean from the Farallones to the Ladrones, while 

 others migrate along its shore, coming from Alaska on the 

 north and from Patagonia on the south. The diversified topog- 

 raphy of the land and the varied character of the climate and 

 plant life insures a home for a great variety of land birds as 

 well. A continent might separate the birds of the rainy coast 

 district of Humboldt County from the species inhabiting the 

 arid region of the Colorado Desert, so different are they in 

 form, plumage and habits. 



I am often asked whether the birds of California differ 

 much from those of New England, and the comparison is a 

 most interesting one to make. In order to understand the 

 distinctions, however, it will be necessary to explain the differ- 

 ence between a species and a variety or geographical race. 

 Two related birds are said to be distinct species when they 

 possess any constant marks of difference, however slight these 

 may appear to the untrained eye. When connecting links are 

 foimd between two allied forms they are said to intergrade 

 and one is considered a mere variety of the other. For ex- 

 ample, the western robin differs from its eastern prototype by a 

 few very trivial characters, which completely blend in the 

 region intermediate between the typical home of each species. 

 Our robin is, therefore, merely a variety of the American robin 

 and can only be distinguished from that bird by the critical 

 examination of an expert. The western bluebird, on the con- 

 trary, although similar to the eastern bluebird in general color, 

 size and habits, has a patch of blue upon the breast where its 

 eastern congener is colored a uniform earthy red, and, since 



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