418 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXXV, 



tained a good variety of desert birds, including plumbeous gnatcateher, 

 Baird's verdin, Grinnell's water thrush, black-chinned sparrow, finch, rock 

 wren and caracara vulture. Other species of land and water forms were 

 obtained. The vegetation about Magdalena Bay was especially dry and 

 scorched; we were told that not a drop of rain had fallen in three years. 

 Water holes are few and far apart in this region. 



Proceeding to sea in the evening, the dredge was cast at nine the follow- 

 ing morning in 325 fathoms (Sta. 5679) at eleven o'clock in 389 fathoms 

 (Sta. 5680), and in the afternoon in 405 fathoms (Sta. 5681). The total 

 catch from these three hauls was very small, being as follows: Fishes — ■ 

 34 Monomitopus, 13 small sharks. Invertebrates — a few small crabs, 

 prawns and shells. 



Cape St. Lucas was reached on the morning of the 23d, where we re- 

 mained two days. Here we found a change in the character of the desert 

 and decidedly for the better. The bushes were higher, some of them in 

 bloom. There were many small trees and an abundance of giant cactus. 

 Birds were numerous and of many species and we collected for the first time 

 forms peculiar to the Cape Region. A most important collection was made 

 of small mammals, birds, lizards and plants. Among the mammals were: 

 Lepus californicus xanti, Perognathus spinatus peninsula?, P. siccus, Neotoma 

 intermedia arenacea, Peromyscus eretnicus era and Ammospermophilus 

 leucurus peninsula?. 



This is a most interesting region to the naturalist. Our lists of the 

 various land forms expanded immediately into several times what we had 

 previously secured. Considerable work was done with the seine and boat- 

 dredge. At all anchorages up to the present time more or less collecting 

 of small pelagic forms was done with the electric light on the surface of the 

 water. On the 24th, while the collectors were ashore, the 'Albatross' went 

 out and made a dredge haul just south' of the Cape, in 491 fathoms (Sta. 

 5682). The contents of the dredge were as follows: Fishes — 29 Macrurus, 

 14 Merlueius, 1 Alepocephalus, 1 Argi/ropelecus. Invertebrates — 1 Paly- 

 cheles, 30 Glyphocrangon, 5 Heterocarpus, 36 Penuus, 12 Acanthophyra, 6 

 schizopods, 20 Munidopsis, 2 quarts of small munida, 4 Plumularia, 6 

 anemones, 6 ophiurans, 2 starfishes (Ceramaster patagonicus and Henricia 

 clarki), 2 echini (Brissopsis colvmbaris) and 2 ascidians. The botanist ob- 

 tained over 100 species of plants at Cape St. Lucas. 



The ship returned to her anchorage at noon and on the 25th proceeded 

 to San Jose del Cabo. Captain Burrage and I called on the officials, saddle 

 horses having been sent to the beach and placed at our disposal. The town 

 is situated near the mouth of San Jose River, and as irrigation is practised 

 this part of the valley is under cultivation. The mammals, birds, plants 



