x INTRODUCTORY 
identify his “bird neighbors.” It is in the hope of 
meeting this need and affording an introduction to 
the birds more commonly found in California that this 
non-technical work is offered. Keys have been avoided 
and a simple classification, according to habitat or color, 
substituted, following the excellent plan used by Neltje 
Blantjan, which has never been excelled for easy iden- 
tification. 
In selecting these three hundred from the five hun- 
dred varieties listed as occurring within the confines 
of the State and adjacent islands, no arbitrary rule has 
been followed, the author being guided by her own 
experience in field work among them. During a test 
study in 1902, the ground covered was from Mexico to 
Oregon, and from the islands off the coast to the eastern 
slope of the Sierra Nevada; and in this, two hundred 
and forty odd species were commonly met with, while 
the others were by no means rare. The observations 
were made in the desert region along the California side 
of the Colorado River, and at Tia Juana, San Diego, 
Riverside, Redlands, Pasadena, San Pedro, Santa Cata- 
lina, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Pacific 
Grove, Palo Alto, Alviso, San Francisco Bay region, 
Martinez, the Farallones, Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Shasta, 
Sacramento, Slippery Ford, Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf 
Lake, Eagle Lake, and Lake Tulare. This list is 
given for the benefit of bird-loving tourists who 
may wish to do likewise. 
