6 University of California Publications in Zoology ["Vol. 10 



the roads, and shrubbery in the gardens, sheltered quantities of 

 the smaller species, M'hile the quiet waters of the harbor, with 

 the streams flowing into it, attract many water birds. 



The road between Alberni and the east coast, traversed by 

 stage, lies mostlv through forest, and a part of the distance (on 

 the west side of the divide) through stands of prodigiously large 

 trees. Even on a bright sunny day it is dark and gloomy in 

 these woods, and the stillness is impressive. The ground is 

 remarkably free from underbrush, and bird life almost totally 

 lacking. 



GOLDEN EAGLE BASIN 



In the mountains about twenty miles southeast of Alberni. 

 These mountains center in a tall, rocky peak, Mount Saunders 

 (altitude 5500 feet), streams draining from it in all directions, 

 and the various canons terminating at the base of the peak in 

 large circular amphitheatres, or "basins" as they are called 

 (see pi. 2). The Golden Eagle Basin and the canon draining 

 from it (China Creek) were years ago the scenes of mining 

 activities which entailed the building of a road into the moun- 

 tains. The mines were failures and have long since been aban- 

 doned, and the road is now choked with vegetation and otherwise 

 allowed to deteriorate, but it is still passable and our outfit was 

 hauled over it without difficulty. Camp was established in one 

 of the mine buildings through the courtesy of the caretaker in 

 charge of the property, who resides there alone throughout the 

 year. 



The road into the mountains, ascending China Creek Canon 

 most of the way, passes through dense coniferous forests for its 

 entire length, but the character of the landscape changes 

 abruptly in the basin at its head. This is grown up with 

 thickets of willow, elder and alder, interrupted with patches of 

 grass and veratrum, while there are places where all vegetation 

 has been destroyed by rock slides descending from the surround- 

 ing slopes and covering everything with gravel and boulders. 

 The mountains rise precipitously on all sides except where the 

 stream finds an outlet. There are tongues of scattered and 

 1 1 war fed conifers on some of the ridges, but the slopes are clothed 

 mostly with thickets of alder, salmon-berry and devil's club, with 



