386 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy 

 By Joseph Mailliard, Curator 



Work in the Department of Ornithology, which had been in abeyance for 

 some time, was actively resumed at the beginning of February, 1919, and 

 has been carried on without interruption since that date. 



A matter of first importance was the compilation of a proper card index 

 of the research collection of birds which consisted, at the beginning of 

 this year, of something over 19,000 specimens. The preparatory work for 

 this has been accomplished, and the typewriting of the cards is now nearly 

 completed. 



All the specimens in the cases were examined and cleaned with an air 

 blast, and periodical inspections have been maintained. 



Field work has been carried on, as far as the fund appropriated allowed, 

 by the curator and his assistant, Mr. Luther Little. The principal event 

 in this line has been the exploration of the Inner Coast Range of Cali- 

 fornia in parts of Napa, Lake, Mendocino, and Colusa counties, which was 

 carried on during the months of April, May, and June and in September 

 and October. In this work the department was greatly assisted by Mr. John 

 W. Mailliard, who placed his services and the use of his car at our dis- 

 posal on several occasions, thus enabling us to examine districts and aiding 

 us in collecting material which would otherwise have been beyond our 

 reach. Interesting additions to our knowledge of the avifauna of Cali- 

 fornia have been the reward of this field work and material of much assist- 

 ance toward the solutions of some puzzling problems in distribution has 

 been obtained. The results of the spring field work were published in the 

 Proceedings of the Academy." 



Acting upon a request for cooperation from the Bureau of Biological 

 Survey, this department has preserved and forwarded to that bureau, for 

 content examination, the stomachs of a considerable proportion of the 

 birds taken as specimens during the explorations and field work, and will 

 continue to assist in this manner as far as time and opportunity permit. 



Among the educational exhibits of special interest now being prepared 

 by the department is one of the birds of Golden Gate Park. The purpose 

 is to show a pair of properly mounted specimens of each of the species 

 of birds known to occur in the Park. The species that are permanent 

 residents will be shown in one case, and those present only as winter, 

 spring or fall visitants or migrants in other cases. Then in the final case 

 will be represented the current species. This last group will be a con- 

 stantly changing one, as it will be kept up to date by removing the species 

 that leave and adding those which arrive in the Park from day to day. 

 It is believed these exhibits will prove of real value to the public schools 

 in their nature study work. These specimens are being prepared by Mr. 

 Wm. Heim. Specimens have been contributed to this exhibit by various 

 persons, among whom may be mentioned Messrs. J. V. Donovan, Charles 

 Budd, and Sergt. P. H. McGee of Golden Gate Park, Prof. J. O. Snyder of 

 Stanford University, and the California Fish and Game Commission. 



»Vol. IX, No. 10, 4th Ser., pp. 273-296, November 25, 1919. 



