ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. ' 
89 
reasonably be mistaken for them. The older authors in confound- 
ing the races were quite excusable in giving them the same 
specific names. Those now to be noticed come under three divis- 
ions as to geographical distribution, viz. : first, those of tropical 
and South America ; second, those of Asia ; third, those of the 
Eastern United Stateg. All circumpolar species, even if not re- 
cently found on this coast, are omitted as very likely to be found. 
The probability of the occurrence of the others varies chiefly with 
the nearness of their usual range and their powers of flight, so that 
we may frequently consider their occurrence rs next to impossible, 
as with the Mexican Quails and Jays which have been so often 
credited to “ California.” 
What we know of the ' Asiatic stragglers to Alaska shows that 
they are usually strong flyers, and I may hei’e mention two of the 
Raptores found only in California so far, and each but once, wUich 
have a very Asiatic aspect, viz. Buteo cooperi and Onychotes gru- 
heri. 
The first doubtful West -coast birds were given by Gmelin as from 
‘‘ Unalaska, Nootka,” etc. ; the next came from “ Oregon” ; and not 
until 1830 did species begin to be credited to “ California.” At that 
time the peninsula was included in this name, and yet very few 
species, if any, were wrongly located on that account, most of those 
not found in “Upper California” being now unknown on the 
peninsula, though often found on the West Mexican coast. The 
cool sea-breezes of the coast act as an obstacle to the northward 
migration of many tropical species occurring on the Atlantic coast 
in summer much farther north, while the Colorado Desert, over 
one hundred miles wide, debars many more from the hotter 
interior. 
A few have been called “ Californian ” “which occur about the 
Gulf, but not within sixty miles of our line, though of course the 
water-birds may follow so far up the Colorado River. Many were 
no doubt carelessly labelled by collectors, or designedly misrepre- 
sented as from regions then almost inaccessible, to increase their 
value. 
As to “Oregon” of authors before 1853, it must also be re- 
marked, that they included under the name the whole country 
drained by the Columbia River; and even now the State includes 
part of the “ Middle Province ” of Baird, in which are found birds 
not known from the coast. Captain Bendire is now for the first 
