634 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4 TH Ser. 



fornia Department of Agriculture, 1 ; Mr. A. W. Robison, 1, and Mr. 

 W. G. Wright, 4. By purchase: 7 specimens. 



A great deal had been anticipated as a result of the Academy's expe- 

 dition to the Gulf of California, as there must be many undescribed 

 insular forms of small mammals upon the islands there, but the unfor- 

 tunate illness of the representative from this department, who was also 

 representing the Department of Ornithology, put a stop to all such 

 work, and the returns were practically nothing in comparison with what 

 they should have been. Joseph Mailliard, Curator. 



Department of Ornithology 



During the year 1921 more work has been accomplished in this depart- 

 ment than for several previous years. Great progress has been made in 

 the classification and registration of the ornithological specimens ; and the 

 matter of systematizing, mounting and arranging the growing collection 

 of birds' eggs has been undertaken, and is now well along toward 

 completion. The services of Miss Mary E. McLellan have been secured, 

 and with her assistance and that of Mr. Chase Littlejohn, assistant 

 curator, all this work is reaching such a satisfactory status that time 

 will be available in the near future to permit the resumption of research 

 work. 



In the field the department has shown marked activity. Most unfor- 

 tunately, however, this department's representative on the Academy's ex- 

 pedition to the Gulf of California was disabled by illness very soon after 

 the field of action was reached and hence the results, except for the col- 

 lecting of a number of rare specimens of birds' eggs, were extremely dis- 

 appointing. The most valuable portion of the eggs secured was an excep- 

 tionally fine series of eggs of the Elegant Tern (Sterna elegans), which 

 gives the Academy possession of what is probably the best representation 

 at present existing of these variedly and beautifully marked eggs. 



On account of the amount of the funds devoted to the expenses of 

 the Gulf of California Expedition, field work in California was some- 

 what circumscribed, but a fair amount was carried on along the same 

 lines as in recent years. 



With Mr. Chase Littlejohn as assistant, the curator took the field on 

 the northwest coast of California for the observation of bird migration, 

 the collection of resident species for comparison and identification, and 

 the recording of such species as might be noted by the field party. 

 Requa, Del Norte County, was the locality selected for this work because 

 of its being actually on the coast, as well as being in a region in which 

 but little work of this sort had been carried on. This field was reached 

 on April 20, and there, with the exception of somel side excursions of 

 short duration, operations were carried on until June 2. The means 

 of transportation were the ordinary train and stage. Through the 

 courtesy of the superintendent of the Hoopa Indian Reservation, Mr. 

 J. B. Mortsolf, within whose jurisdiction it was, the Indian Service cot- 

 tage at Requa was placed at the disposal of the field party, by which 

 it was occupied during the greater part of the time passed in the field. 



