Mar., IQ07 



57 



A FORGOTTEN REFERENCE TO THE NATURAE HISTORY OF 



CALIFORNIA 



BY WALTER K. FISHER 



THROUGH the kindness of Dr. James Perrin Smith of Stanford Universit}^ I 

 have recentl}^ examined an ahiiost forgotten work which contains some in- 

 teresting notes on the natural history of California. The book is entitled: 

 ' Xife, Adventures, and Travels in California, "i Dr. Smith's copy is a second edition, 

 the ' 'Conquest of California, " etc. , evidently having been absent from the first edition'. 

 The contents are chiefly concerned with an account of the history and geography 

 of California, the customs of the natives, and the incidents or adventures of the 

 author's journey. He sailed in December, 1840, from the mouth of the Columbia 

 River for Hawaii in order to reach Monterey, California. 



The natural history portion comprises a comparatively small part of the book 

 and is considered under the following heads: Animals, Birds, Fish, Plants, Min- 

 erals. I have listed all the birds mentioned, and the numbers in parentheses refer 

 to the pages on which the latin names occur. Spelling follows that of the original. 

 "Worthy of mention among the first of the feathered family in California, is the 

 Great Vulture, peculiar, probably, to this country. Eet his name be given in full — 

 a lofty and sonorous one, and well fitting its owner — Sarconiuit>has Califoniianus. 

 (388) "^^ * * The great vulture is met with along the whole Pacific coast from 

 Dower California to the most northern boundaries of Oregon, and the Russian 

 possessions." Cathartcs aura, Turkey Buzzard (389). Cathartcs atratus, 

 Black Vulture, "is quite common in almost every part of the country west of the 

 Rocky Mountains." Aqiiila C/nysaetos, Golden Eagle, "its plumes are used b}^ 

 the natives as ornaments, and are attached to their pipes or calumets, from which 

 circumstance it is called Calumet eagle. This species is found on the coast and in 

 most sections of the woody and mountainous parts of California. It feeds on hares, 

 grouse and other game, and seldom if ever catches fish." Agiiila leiicocep/iala. 

 Bald Eagle (390). Aquila Haliacta, Osprey (391). Faico peregri)iHS, Black 

 Hawk or Peregrine Falcon. Falco hiaudiciis, Jer-Falcon. "He inhabits the 

 northern coast, and is properly confined to the frozen regions, though individuals 

 are by no means rare in upper California." /^c/Zr^; 5^rtrz'(^r///5, Sparrow Hawk. 

 Falco coluniharius. Pigeon Hawk. Accipiier plniiibariiis, Gos-Hawk. "Of the 

 owls there are several species. Sfn'x Mrffiuiana, Great Horned Owl. Strix )iyctaea 

 Great Snow Owl. Strix ciiniciilaria.^' 



'' Lcmiiis horealis (392), several species of Tyrauuiis and Tyraiinula, Flycatch- 

 ers; Menila migrator/a, The Robin; Orpheus fclivox, The Catbird; Orpheus 

 rufus, The Brown Thrush; several Sylvicatae; Alauda, The Dark, one or two 

 species; Fniheriza nivalis. The Snow Bunting; Icterus phtpiiiceus, The Redwing." 

 Loxia leucoptera. The Crossbill. Corvus corax. The Raven. Corvus corone, 

 The Crow. Corvus pica, The Magpie. '^ diarrulus cristatus, the Common Blue 

 Jay, and another smaller species, probably (t. Stellcri , are quite common. Col- 

 aptes Mexicanus * ""^ * is found in upper California, and all along the Pacific 

 coast, and is, with the exception of an occasional individual of the golden-winged 



I The exact title is: Pictorial edition ! ! ! | Life, | Adventures, and Travels | in | Califor- 

 nia. I By T. J. Farnum. | To which are added the | Conquest of California, | Travels in 

 Oregon, | and | History of the Gold Regions. | New York, | Published by Cornish, L,ampert & 

 Co. I 1852. 



