Nov., 1926 JAMES HEPBURN, LITTLE KNOWN ORNITHOLOGIST 251 



correct) that the travellers' "booming swallow" was really the Nighthawk {Chordeiles 

 mrginianus) . Although he published nothing himself, his ability to write is demon- 

 strated in one of his notebooks, which, in fact, has the appearance of being prepared 

 as preliminary to a book on western American birds. As regards his ability as a 

 collector and observer, we have the following statement from an excellent judge, 

 Robert Brown, as given in the preface to his "Synopsis of the Birds of Vancouver 

 Island" (Ibis, 1868, p. 416) : "I received much assistance from my friend Mr. James 

 Hepburn, a gentleman who has spent many years in collecting the birds of the North 

 Pacific, and whose knowledge is only equalled by his liberality in imparting it to his 

 less fortunate brother naturalist. His princely (for no other term will designate it) 

 collection is now in San Francisco, and I trust that he will by-and-by favour us with 

 an extended account of North-Pacific ornithology; but in the meantime this synopsis, 

 which owes all that is most original in it to his notes, may stand as a contribution to 

 zoogeography, which can alone proceed on a sure basis by the collection of local 

 faunas." 



Some time after proving to my own satisfaction, in the round-about way outlined 

 above, that Hepburn was the author of the notebooks here described, it was drawn to 

 my attention that he is quoted over and over again, and at some length, in Baird, 

 Brewer, and Ridgway's "A History of North American Birds" (1874). Comparison 

 of the published quotations with notebook entries discloses such agreement of facts 

 stated, and even of wording, as to make it seem likely that this very notebook was in 

 the hands of one of the authors of the work cited. For example, in the account of the 

 White-bellied Swallow {loc. cit., vol. 1, p. 347) there is an account, seven or eight 

 lines in length, describing a nest placed on the yard-arm of a ship, and this description, 

 with hardly the change of a word, appears also in the notebook account of that species. 



What became of Hepburn's collection I do not know. His notebook catalogue 

 contains 1436 entries, and, due to his peculiar system, some numbers represent several 

 specimens each. A few skins went to the Smithsonian Institution, and there are 

 entries of some that went elsewhere, notably a good many to "Sir W. Jardine", but it 

 would seem that the bulk of his collection was intact at the time of his death. 



Perhaps the main interest attaching to the notebooks is the opportunity of tracing 

 Hepburn's travels in the west. The first entry in his catalogue is dated at Martinez, 

 California, May 6, 1852. During each of the following eight years, until July 21, 

 1860, there are numerous entries from Calif ornian localities, implying continuous 

 residence at or near San Francisco, though there are gaps of time long enough to have 

 permitted of short trips as far as Victoria. Localities mentioned include Benicia, 

 Oakland, Pulgas Ranch (San Mateo County), Twelve-mile House (San Jose Road), 

 San Mateo, Pacific Beach, Sausalito, Half Moon Bay, Santa Clara, and San Bruno, 

 in the San Francisco Bay region. There were also trips to the Sierras, such as to 

 Grass Valley, to Bear River, Placer County, and to the "Pine Tree Mines", Mariposa 

 County. 



On November 5, 1860, is the first entry from British Columbia, at Nanaimo. He 

 remained in the colony until July 20, 1861, collecting at points near Victoria (Esqui- 

 malt, San Juan Island, and Saanich), and on the west coast, at Somass, Alberni Canal, 

 and at Barclay Sound. June 5 to 16 was devoted to a trip to Smith's Island, Bird 

 Rock, and Williamson's Rock, Washington Territory. From August 12 to October 

 15 he was at, or near. Fort Colville, Washington Territory. * November 28 found 

 him back in California, where he remained until March, 1862. 



In April he returned to Victoria, and we find entries from various points there- 

 about: from Bird Rock and Smith's Island, Washington Territory, early in June; 

 Barrier Island, Haro Straits, June 25; and about Victoria until July 20. From 



