x INTRODUCTORY 



identify his "bird neighbors." It is in the hope of 

 meeting this need and affording an introduction to 

 the birds more commonly found in California that this 

 non-technical work is offered. Keys have been avoided 

 and a simple classification, according to habitat or color, 

 substituted, following the excellent plan used by Neltje 

 Blantjan, which has never been excelled for easy iden- 

 tification. 



In selecting these three hundred from the five hun- 

 dred varieties listed as occurring within the confines 

 of the State and adjacent islands, no arbitrary rule has 

 been followed, the author being guided by her own 

 experience in field work among them. During a test 

 study in 1902, the ground covered was from Mexico to 

 Oregon, and from the islands off the coast to the eastern 

 slope of the Sierra Nevada ; and in this, two hundred 

 and forty odd species were commonly met with, while 

 the others were by no means rare. The observations 

 were made in the desert region along the California side 

 of the Colorado River, and at Tia Juana, San Diego, 

 Riverside, Redlands, Pasadena, San Pedro, Santa Cata- 

 lina, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, Pacific 

 Grove, Palo Alto, Alviso, San Francisco Bay region, 

 Martinez, the Farallones, Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Shasta, 

 Sacramento, Slippery Ford, Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf- 

 Lake, Eagle Lake, and Lake Tulare. This list is 

 given for the benefit of bird-loving tourists who 

 may wish to do likewise. 



