Mar., 1918 IN MEMORIAM: LYMAN BELDING 57 



most of the birds, but my first bird book astonished me with many I did not 

 know and had never heard of. I had never met an ornithologist or oologist 

 and did not know there was any in this State. 1 I was successful in identifying 

 my specimens. My success was due partly to my knowing many of the species, 

 partly to the excellence of Baird's descriptions in 'California Ornithology' and 

 in vol. ix of the Pacific Railroad Reports [Baird, Cassin, and Lawrence], and 

 partly because many subspecies had not been recognized. I was sometimes ma- 

 terially assisted by Wilson's simple descriptions. The first eggs I collected 

 were about on a par with my first bird skins. I picked a hole in each end with 

 a pin, never having seen nor heard of egg-drills and blow-pipes. Eggs of Town- 

 send 's Solitaire and others quite as choice were thus punctured and sent to the 

 Smithsonian Institution. ' ' 



In the spring of 1881, Mr. Belding visited Cerros Island, off the west coast 

 of Lower California. His original intention had been to explore Guadalupe 

 Island, but conditions being unfavorable there, the project was abandoned. 

 Twenty species of birds were either collected or recorded from Cerros, one be- 

 ing Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus. In addition he secured a new lizard, 

 Verticaria beldingi Stejneger. 2 Ten days were spent at San Quintin Bay, where 

 Passerculus beldingi Ridgway was taken, as well as seventeen species record- 

 ed. Seven species were noted at Santa Rosalia Bay, and three at Los Corona- 

 dos Islands. 



''During the winters of 1881-2 and 1882-3 I collected in the Cape region, 

 from La Paz to Cape San Lucas, excepting the time that I was at Guaymas, 

 which was nearly all of December, 1882, and a part of April, 1883. * * * 

 My collecting in the Cape region was satisfactory, notwithstanding some hard- 

 ships I endured. The region is mostly a semi-desert, water is scarce and I sev- 

 eral times suffered for the want of it. 



"I found San Jose del Cabo the best field of the low country and the Vic- 

 toria Mountains the best of the mountainous parts. I have often wondered 

 why the sharp-eyed, indefatigable Xantus did not see Geothlypis beldingi on 

 the San Jose river, where he spent a great deal of time, and also if it had rapid- 

 ly changed since he was there some thirty years before. I do not think he was 

 ever in the Victoria Mountains or he would have found the very common 

 Junco bairdi and other common birds of these mountains, which are known to 

 the California Academy scientists as Laguna — a decided misnomer, as the lit- 

 tle lagoon that once existed at the lower end of a little valley, went down the 

 mountain during a violent rainstorm which cut away a natural dam that held it. 



*In THE CONDOR, vol. II, 1900, p. 1, Mr. Belding- says: "I had met several persons 

 who could mount birds and I had mummifipd and mounted some, but I soon found that 

 a mummy was not a joy forever if it was a thing of beauty when first mounted. I had 

 no difficulty in identifying my specimens, but in order to be sure my identifications were 

 correct, I sent specimens to Washington for Mr. Ridgway's opinion. 



"He and Prof. Baird gave me kind encouragement and Mr. Ridgway was very pa- 

 tient and prompt in writing long, interesting letters concerning the specimens I had sent. 

 I was given many valuable books from the National Library, after which Prof. Baird 

 sent me a catalogue of the publications it contained and told me to ask for anything I 

 wanted. I was very grateful for these kind attentions and my zeal for the work was 

 gTeatly stimulated. I do not think this kind encouragement was exceptional, for I 

 think Profs. Baird and Ridgway were always glad to assist the student of natural his- 

 tory." 



2 Little mention is made in the autobiographical notes of herpetological collecting. 

 Doctor Stejneger's dedication of the species throws light upon this matter. "I take great 

 pleasure in naming this new species after Mr. L. Belding whose extensive and excellent 

 herpetological collecting in Lower California as well as in Upper California has never 

 been adequately recognized." 



