136 THE CONDOR Vol. X 



contains a description of California "from the Spanish of Michael Venegas, a Mexi- 

 can Jesuit, published at Madrid in 1758, and others". Of course we are most in- 

 terested in what he says about animals and birds: 



"in California are now found all kinds of domeftic animals, commonly ufed in 

 Spain and Mexico; horfes, mules, affes, oxen, fheep, hogs, goats, dogs, and cats. 

 They have been imported from New Spain, and thrive here very well; but here are 

 two fpecies of wild animals, not known in Old or New Spain. The firft is that 

 which Calif ornians call Taye; it is about the fize of a calf, a year and a half old, 

 and greatly refembles it in figure, except in its head, which is like that of a deer, 

 with very thick horns like a ram; its hoof is large, round, and cloven like that of 

 an ox; its fkin is fpotted like a deer, but the hair thinner, and it has a short tail 

 like a deer; the flefh is very palatable, and, to fome, taftes delicious. 



"The other animal peculiar to this country is the Cayote, or wild dog, very 

 much refembling a fox. Here are alfo leopards, such as they call lions in Mexico; 

 goats, cats, and wild hogs, are frequently found in the mountains, and (Father) 

 Torqjiemada obferves, that, about Monte-Re}^ are very large bears, tigers, an 

 animal fomething like a buffalo, and a creature which he thus describes: it is about 

 the fize of a fteer, but fhaped like a ftag; its hair refembles that of a pelican, and is 

 a quarter of a yard in length; its neck long; and on its head are horns, like thofe 

 of a ftag; the tail is a yard long, and half a yard broad; and its feet cloven, like the 

 feet of an ox." 



"Of birds there are an infinite variety. Among thefe, for the table, are turtle- 

 doves, herons, quails, pheafants, geefe, ducks, and pidgeons. The birds of prey 

 are vultures, hawks, falcons, offiphages, horn-owls, ravens, and crows. Of night- 

 birds, there are owls, and many others of a fmaller kind, not feen in other parts, 

 nor mentioned by any naturalifts; nor have the narratives of the Jefuits fupplied 

 us with a defcription, or even with the names of them. 



"California has a great variety of finging-birds, as larks, nightingales, and the 

 like, adorned with beautiful plumages. Torgiiemada fays, that about the harbour 

 of Monte-Re}^ are buftards, peacocks, geefe, thrufhes, fwallows, fparrows, gold- 

 finches, linnets, quails, partridges, blackbirds, water-wagtails, cranes, and other 

 birds refembling turkey-cocks, so large as to be 17 palms from the extremity of one 

 wing to that of the other; and alfo a particular fpecies of gulls, that live on pilch- 

 ards and other filth, equal in fize to a very large goofe, their bill a foot long, with 

 long legs refembling a ftork, their beak and feet like thofe of a goofe. They have 

 a vaft craw, which in fome hangs down like the leather bottles ufed in Peru for 

 carrying water, in which craws they carry what they catch to their young ones. 

 The friendly difpofition of thefe birds is fomething furprifing, for they affift one 

 another when iick or wounded, and bring that bird provifion that is unable to 

 fearch for it. The Indians profit by this; for, when they want a difh of fifh, they 

 will wound and tie a gull to a particular fpot, conceal themfelves, and, when they 

 think all the provifion is brought them which other gulls defigned, the}^ advance 

 and feize the contribution: fuch are the mysterious ways of Providence for the 

 fupport of his creatures!" 



"Father Torqucmada ixi^-AkAWg oi \\\&\{\2l\\^ oi St. Catherine, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of California, fays, 'in this ifland are rancherias, or communities, and in 

 them a temple, with a large, level court, where they perform their facrifices; and 

 in one, was a large circular fpace, the place of the altar, with an enclofure of 

 feathers of feveral birds of different colours; which I underftood,' says he, 'were 

 thofe of the birds they facrificed in great numbers: and within the circle, was an 

 image, ftrangely bedaubed with a variety of colours, reprefenting fome devil, ac- 



