212 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. 10 



the valley below was largely composed of catclaw. Banning lies 

 at the eastern end of the great grain and fruit growing region 

 which occupies all of the center of San Gorgonio Pass to the 

 westward. At this point the orchards and grain fields of estab- 

 lished cultivation cease, and east of here the desert conditions 

 prevail, unbroken except for sporadic attempts at farming and 

 for occasional limited oases at the mouths of canons. 



But very few desert animals were found this far to the west- 

 ward and in complementary fashion such typical San Diegan 

 species as valley quail, Pasadena thrasher, western lark sparrow 

 and wren-tit among birds, and Eeithrodontomys m. longicauda, 

 Perodipus a. agilis, and Citellus b. fisheri among mammals, 

 occurred in great abundance. Of several widespread species of 

 mammals having different subspecies on the coast and desert 

 sides of the range, such as Neotoma intermedia, Perognathus 

 panamintinus and Perognathus fallax. Banning specimens proved 

 to be intermediate in characters, indicating that this was approx- 

 imately on the line of mergence of the desert and coast faunas. 



Collecting was carried on at Banning from June 6 to 16. 



Schain's Ranch 



The trip from Banning to Schain's Ranch, about eleven miles, 

 was made over a wagon road. Banning, at an elevation of 2200 

 feet, lies at the lower edge of the Upper Sonoran life zone, and 

 Schain's Ranch, 5000 feet, at its extreme upper limit. The road 

 between the two points winds through chaparral-covered hills 

 for most of the distance, except at Poppet Flat, 4000 feet, where 

 a ranch is located. Here there is a great deal of open ground, 

 extensive fields and meadows, dotted with large live oaks. Above 

 this point buckthorn and manzanita begin to replace the grease- 

 wood thickets of the lower hills. 



Camp was established at the ranger's cabin, about a quarter 

 of a mile distant from Schain's Ranch. This was situated on 

 the summit of the broad ridge marking the divide between the 

 San Gorgonio Pass and San Jacinto Valley drainages of the 

 mountains. In every direction below camp extended Upper 

 Sonoran chaparral ; a short distance above there was a clump 

 of yellow pines, and farther up, Transition pine forests covered 



