i CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



migrants within itself, for while it is winter in one por- 

 tion, the flowers of summer are blooming in another. It 

 is also a country of great distances, and it is very won- 

 derful what a change, in our bird fauna may be seen in 

 traveling a few miles. It is only nine miles from Bur- 

 rard Inlet to New Westminister, and yet of our summer 

 visitors, there are some four or five species which are 

 abundant at the latter place that are entirely unknown 

 at the former; and so it is all through the Province, 

 although the difference may not be so marked." 



The notes of the light-house keepers on the coast of 

 British Columbia and Washington were kindly forwarded 

 by Dr. Merriam for the same purpose. 



In 1885 the Division of Economic Ornithology was 

 established in connection with the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, at Washington, with Dr. Merriam as or- 

 nithologist and Dr. A. K. Fisher assistant ornithologist. 

 The work on migration and distribution was continued 

 here, and observations on the food habits of the birds 

 were added; and still later, observations on the food of 

 mammals became a part of the work. This report was 

 mostly type-written by that department, proof read by 

 Dr. Fisher, and the most of the data of 1886 and latei* 

 was incorporated by him. To do this, he gave very 

 valuable time and much intelligent labor without the 

 hope of reward, although he was, during this time, 

 superintendent of the extensive and important Atlantic 

 District. Finally, we are placed under still greater ob- 

 ligations to the Department of Agriculture by the return, 

 at my request, of the type-written copy. 



This report aims, mainly, to show the arrivals and 

 departures of migrating species, as well as to give a cat- 

 alogue of all the species known to occur in the district. 

 The data on the food of the birds has been mostly elim- 

 inated from the report, being usually meagre and. 



