16 University of California Publications im Zoology. {Vou 
sisting of silver fir, and yellow pine, with some sugar pine, tam- 
arack pine (chiefly around the margins of the meadow), and in- 
cense cedar (mostly down towards Bear lake). On the top of 
the ridge to the south there is a dense undergrowth of chinqua- 
pin, Ceonothus cordulatus and Arctostaphylos patula. This brush 
also occurs on the little hills and ridges throughout the region. 
Along the depressions and margining the cienagas are luxuriant 
erowths of a species of willow. The life-zone of the Bluff lake 
region is extreme upper Transition, with a large Boreal element 
around the wettest and most shaded cienagas. Doubtless because 
of the abundance of water this locality proved to possess a pro- 
lificaey of animal life scarcely equalled anywhere else in the San 
Bernardino mountains. The two chipmunks (Hutanuas speciosus 
and Callospermophilus bernardinus) fairly swarmed over the 
brushy knolls, as well as in the open woods. The cienagas were 
overrun by meadow mice (Microtus californicus and M. mordax 
bernardinus), and shrews (Sorex ornatus) were also doubtless 
common, though we were able to catch but few. Pocket gophers 
were common. Among birds the following were some of the more 
characteristic or abundant’ species, roughly in the order of in- 
portance in these respects: gray flycatcher, Stephens fox sparrow, 
Sierra jJuneo, mountain chickadee, Audubon warbler, western 
robin, Cassin purple finch, western bluebird, Pacific nighthawk, 
pine siskin, Sierra creeper, Sierra and Williamson sapsuckers, 
Cabanis and white-headed woodpeckers, green-tailed towhee, Lin- 
coln sparrow, blue-fronted jay, olive-sided flycatcher, western 
wood pewee, and western chipping sparrow. Of much less 
abundance were: ashy kinglet, Townsend solitaire, Sierra hermit 
thrush, and dwarf flammulated screech owl. 
Besides these, there was a large influx of transients and lower 
zone visitants, which began to appear at least as early as the 
middle of July. The first of September the bird population was 
at least 4500 individuals to the square mile, while of the two 
species of chipmunks there were at least 2000 to the square mile. 
The Bluff lake region is so nearly level, and therefore easy to 
traverse, that I cannot recommend a more attractive spot in the 
mountains for the naturalist. The student of bird ecology or 
life histories will find here an excellent field for work. He should 
