286 Recent Literature. t^j 



Localites, by T. S. Palmer. Part I, not jet ready for the press, will con- 

 tain "the general report (itinerary, description of the region, and discus- 

 sion of life zones) and the report on the mammals." 



Dr. Fisher's report on the birds is entitled 'Report on the Ornithology 

 of the Death Valley Expedition of 1891, comprising notes on the Birds 

 observed in southern California, southern Nevada, and parts of Arizona 

 and Utah,' and occupies pp. 7-158. It comprises an annotated list of 

 290 species, all of the observations made by the different members of 

 the Expedition being combined into one general report, instead of the 

 principal localities being treated separately. At the end of the main list, 

 however, are given a 'List of Birds observed in Death Valley, California' 

 (pp. 150-152), numbering 78 species, and a 'List of the birds found in 

 Owens Valley, California' (pp. 153-158), numbering 137 species. Both 

 of these supplemental lists are briefly annotated, and serve to throw 

 sharply into relief the ornithological peculiarities of these two extremely 

 interesting localities. We are also promised that "a few local lists will 

 be found under particular areas in Part I," — a very wise arrangement, 

 from the standpoint of convenience in studying the faunal aspects of par- 

 ticular localities. 



In addition to the observations made by the main expedition, a number 

 of side trips were undertaken to special localities, thus greatly increasing 

 the number of species noted. "Among these trips may be mentioned one 

 made by Dr. Merriam and Mr. Bailey, who extended their observations 

 as far east as St. George, Utah." A trip was also made "by Mr. Nelson 

 along the coast from San Simeon to Carpenteria, and one to Monterey 

 by Mr. Bailey." 



In this way the list is made to cover a very large area, extending from 

 the coast of southern California eastward to some distance into Arizona. 

 The observations appear to have been made mainly by Drs. Merriam 

 and Fisher and Messrs. Vernon Bailey, B. H. Dutcher, E. W. Nelson, 

 T. S. Palmer, and F. Stephens. The paper is of course an exceedingly 

 important contribution to our knowledge of the distribution of birds over 

 the area in question, especially as regards such previously little-known 

 portions as Death Valley and its immediate vicinity. Outside of this area 

 the known range of a number of species was considerably extended to the 

 eastward or northward, according to the species. Thus the range of the 

 Plumed Partridge (Orcortyx pictns plumiferus) was carried eastward to 

 Mount Magruder in Nevada, and to the desert ranges of southern Cali- 

 fornia west of Death Valley. Band's Woodpecker (D/yobates scalaris 

 bctirdi) was found to range northward as far as the Santa Clara Valley 

 in southwestern Utah, and the range of Scott's Oriole (Icterus parisorum) 

 was carried equally far north. 



The Texas Nighthawk (Ckordeiles acutipennis texensis) and the 

 Costa's Hummingbird (Calyptc costce) were also found to range north- 

 ward to about the same line (parallel of 38 '-'') , and a single specimen of 

 the Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocep/ialiis rubineus tnexicamis) was taken 



