38 RIDGWAY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



less of a grassy plain. Here also are two bodies of water, the 

 upper, called Bear Lake, is about a square mile in extent and is 

 formed by the melting of the Winter's snowfall, which is usually 

 very heavy. In dry years the Lake nearly disappears. 



The lower body of water is artificial, an irrigating company 

 having built a fine stone dam across the outlet of the valley, form- 

 ing what is known as the Bear Valley Reservoir, which now cov- 

 ers some two thousand acres. 



This valley is separated from San Bernardino and Grayback 

 Peaks by a lower, broken, heavily timbered region, in which are 

 the headwaters of the Santa Ana River. It is inaccessible by 

 wagon, and the few trails are rough and steep. 



The view south and south-east from the ridge south of Bear 

 Valley is very fine; below lies a trough-like depression, some ten 

 miles wide in front, widening and rising toward the east and nearly 

 closed at the lower end by spurs from the mountain ranges on 

 either side. Its lower (central) part is 4000 to 5000 feet lower. 

 Throughout it is a massive, dark-green, coniferous forest, with here 

 and there an extensive patch of chaparral on the southern exposure. 



In the south, some ten miles distant, is San Bernardino Peak, 

 which, as seen from the San Bernardino Valley, is only a peak, but 

 from here it is seen to be a range of mountains of nearly equal 

 height and nearly twenty miles long, finally culminating in Gray- 

 back Peak, which has an altitude of 11,300 feet. The whole crest 

 of the range for a mile from the summit was an almost unbroken 

 field of snow in June, 18S6. 



1. Colymbus nigricollis californicus (Heerm). [Amer- 

 ican Eared Grebe). Not uncommon on the lakes in Bear Valley. 

 I think there are two species of grebes here, but was unable to 

 positively identify but this one. They breed in June. 



2. Anas boschas Linn. {Mallard). Saw several on the 

 lakes in Bear Valley, where they breed. 



3. Anas cyanoptera Vieill. {Cinnamon leal). A pair 

 of these birds was obtained in Cohuilla Valley ; they were the only 

 ones seen here. The species should occur commonly during the 

 migrations. At Bear Valley I found them not uncommon. They 

 breed along the coast. 



4. Aythya Americana (Eyt.). (Redhead). Saw one pair 

 on the lake in Bear Valley June 13th. 



5. Erismatura rubida ( Wils.) (Ruddy Duck). Common 

 on the lakes in Bear Valley. They breed in June. 



