PREFACE. XI 



Dr. Suckley reached Fort Stcilacoom ucar the end of January, 1856, and remained iu active service 

 among- the Cascade Mountains of Washington Territory for a year, collecting uumerous specimens in all 

 departments of nature. Unfortunately, several of the most valuable boxes of specimens scut by him 

 from the Territory never reached Washington. 



Resigning his commission iu February, 1857, he sailed for China, via San Francisco, collecting sev- 

 eral additional sea-birds, here described, on the way. He thus spent three years and one month in the 

 field of exploration, of which four months only were occupied cast of the Eockj' Mountains. During 

 the present year he has crossed the continent again by land, via Salt Lake, to San Francisco. 



Dr. Cooper spent two years and three months in Washington Territory and six weeks in California. 

 In 1857 he accompanied an expedition through Kansas and Nebraska, as far as Fort Laramie, and has 

 combined in this report many observations collected between June and November in those territories. 



Many valuable specimens from Cape Flattery have been furnished by Lieut. Trowbridge, U. S. A., 

 and from Astoria, 0. T., by his assistant Mr. Wayne. 



The interesting notes and specimens contributed by Mr. George Gibbs, the able geologist of the 

 western division, were collected during several years' journeys and residence at various points. In 

 1849 he crossed the continent by the usual emigrant route along the Platte and Snake Rivers. Going 

 to California, he spent two years among the mountains in the north of that state and in southern Oregon, 

 near the Klamath. In 1853, after some months' residence at Astoria, 0. T., ho joined the party under 

 Capt. McClellan, and after its return to the west coast made important explorations in company with 

 Gov. Stevens around Puget Sound, the Straits of Fuca, Cape Flattery, and the Chehalis River. He still 

 continues his investigations and collections as geologist of the N. W. Boundary Survey, together with 

 Dr. C. B. R. Kennerly, whose recent discoveries in the Natural History of those remote regions, have 

 been of great assistance in the determination of many facts here recorded. 



The very extensive and valuable collections made by Dr. F. V. Hayden, Naturalist to the Expeditions 

 for the Survey of Nebraska ever since the year 1854, have been also liberally used, and some new 

 species collected by him are here described. 



Besides the gentlemen above mentioned as assisting in the collection of materials, the authors are 

 indebted to numerous members of the Expedition, and to many citizens of the territories explored for 

 assistance in collecting specimens and observations. The names of such would form too loni^ a 

 catalogue for insertion here, but are mentioned in the notes connected with their contributions. 



It has been the object of the authors to present such a report as would be both interesting- and 

 instructive to the public at large, divested of all such technicalities and discussions as thouo-h 

 eminently important and necessary for the establishment of natural science on a true ))asis, arc j'et dry 

 to the general reader, and unimportant to their present purpose. At the same time they believe that 

 through the completeness in this respect of the general reports referred to, but few technical errors will 

 be found to have crept in. The references to American authors on the subjects mentioned are very 

 complete, and the reader will thus find means of further information on the more abstruse points 

 referred to. 



They have paid attention particularly to the perfection of those portions relating to Washington 

 Territory, both because more novelty and interest is connected with the productions of that country, and 

 because their residence there of several years each enabled them to collect much more than they could 

 on other parts of the route. Still, most of the specimens collected in other territories are mentioned, 

 especially such as are of new species. 



Though the natural products already known or believed to occur iu the territories mentioned, are 



