1915 7 
PLAN OF TREATMENT 
It is important that the limitations of the following treatment of species be 
clearly understood ; too much must not be expected of it, and at the same time its 
full scope of usefulness should be realized. 
The systematic order is that of the American Ornithologists’ Union Check- 
List (1910), except that within groups of species or subspecies a more natural 
arrangement is sometimes adopted, for example by according with geographical 
sequence. The A. O. U. order is thus accepted here because of the convenience 
thereby admittedly secured, in concording with the bulk of current ornithological 
literature. That the classification indicated is quite unsatisfactory cannot be 
gainsaid. (See Pacific Coast Avifauna no. 8, 1912, p. 5.) 
The first number, in bold-face type, is the running number of this list. The 
second number, in parenthesis, is that of the species as enumerated in the third 
edition (1910) of the A. O. U. Check-List. This may serve to facilitate concord- 
ance where the names are different. The term part, within the parenthesis, is 
used where the subspecies or species here given full standing is not also separ- 
ately recognized in the A. O. U. list, but is included both geographically and sys- 
tematically with the species whose number is cited. 
The nomenclature in large measure follows that adopted by the A. O. U. 
Committee on Nomenclature up to and ineluding the Sixteenth Supplement 
(July, 1912). In a few eases departure from this standard has seemed justified 
because of the clearness of the contrary evidence as presented by the original 
investigator, or because my own knowledge of the problems concerned seems to 
provide sufficient ground for the expression of positive opinion. These points 
of difference as a rule concern subspecies only. 
The synonyms given are only those which have been applied to the species 
as occurring in California. No effort has been made to obtain a complete list of 
vernacular appellations, only the more common book names being given. But 
the scientific names have been collected during rather exhaustive search and 
are believed to include very nearly all ever applied to any bird of the state. The 
term part is employed in connection with such names as have been applied to 
more than one species or subspecies in California. Minor departures in spelling 
from better known forms of names are not included; for example Dendroeca for 
Dendroica, unalascae for aonalaschkae, ete. Diphthongs are not indicated by 
the use of connected vowels. Possessives in vernacular names are ignored. All 
