garding the distribution of bird-life. There can be no 

 doubt that this question of geographical distribution has 

 marked and modified our views of the life history of birds, 

 and from the mere descriptive technology of ornithology, 

 we have opened a new and varied field of ornithological 

 study. In this particular field he has been a pioneer, 

 and it is a portion of the special work of this Club. To 

 the scientist the work of Dr. Cooper is of special value, 

 and this is acknowledged and emphasized by Prof. Baird, 

 who says: "By far the most valuable contribution to the 

 biography of American birds that has appeared since the 

 time of Audubon, is that written by Dr. J. G. Cooper in 

 the Geological Survey of California," (BAIRD North 

 American Land Birds. Preface page i.) 



While the number of his publications on conchology 

 exceeds those on ornithology, in the latter they have 

 taken the form of finished works or monographs, which 

 have such a value as attaches to the works of Audubon, 

 Baird, Wilson and Bendire. During his work on the 

 Pacific Coast Dr. Cooper discovered and established ten 

 forms, which will be made the subject of a paper in our 

 next issue. 



L,ewis' and Clarke's explorations to the head waters of 

 the Missouri River made known to us that vast expanse 

 of territory known as the Northwest and Audubon, Nut- 

 tall and Townsend were the first to describe and make 

 known its zoology. The exploration of Maj. Long in 

 1870, of which Dr. Edwin James was the scientist, 



