THE FOSSIL AVIFAUNA OF THE 
391 
Thomas Condon was the first scientific man that visited Fossil Lake, with the 
result already stated above. Cope and his assistant, Mr. Charles 11. SternlxTg, 
came later, and gathered up many hundreds of bones and fragments of them. By 
them the name of the Silver Lake Region has been applied to the entii*e 
country about, and for our present purpose its character has now been sufficiently 
well portrayed in the foregoing paragraphs. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRESENT FAUNA OF THE REGION. 
At the small lake known as Christmas Lake, one of the system now under con- 
sideration, Cope found in its 'waters “ abundance of larvai of dipterous insects, and 
crustaceans, as Cyclops”, and various waders among the liirds were feeding njK)n 
these. C^uantities of small white shells also abound ; they are principally of the 
species knowm as Carinifex newberryi^ and they occur both in the fossil and living 
state. In some places the former bottoms of the lakes are white with them, and 
undoubtedly they too contributed to the food-supply of many of the tertiary l)ird.s 
and mammals. At the present time Carinifex lives chiefly in Klaniatli Lake. 
But few varieties of fishes are found. Plenty of Salmo purpnratus aix* to Ik* found 
in Silver Creek, which, as I have said, empties into Silver Lake, but they do not 
enter the lake, owing to the alkalinity of its Avaters. But in the hitter we find 
another form, and only* one, it being Myloleticus /ormosus of (lirard, one of the 
Cyprinidee. Batrachians also are rare, but one species has thus far lx*en taken 
in the region, and that a tree-frog {Hyla regilld). It is abundant on the shore.x of 
Silver Lake, though it does not resort to the timher. But two lizard.s liave thus 
far been reported, namely, Uta stansburiana and a variety of Sceloportis undulatus. 
The latter is frequently seen sunning itself on the bare volcanic r«K*k of the lake- 
shores. Only* two snakes occur in this arid region, — the rattle-snake, known a.s 
Crotalns corifluentus lecontei, and Etdania stria lis parietalis. 
Bird-life, however, is abundant, and at all times of the day are to Ik? .‘H*en, 
either on the surface of the water, or in the marshes and on the lake-shore.s several 
species of the Avestern forms of Grebes; probably gulls and terns; ahvays [K-licaus 
and cormorants ; nearly every variety of the anserine tyqies, including plenty of 
SAvaus and geese. Various Avaders also occur, and I presume, although Pmfessor 
Cope does not mention them, numerous shore-birds, as plovers and sand-iiiiH'i-s. 
Coots also are common in suitable places, and very likely some of the Hails. 
OavIs Avere noted, and among the Accipitres various hawks undoubtedly ix'sort them 
attracted by* the great abundance of game. 
Among the land birds, Myiadestes iomisendii, Hcsperocichla neevia, Oroscoptes 
montanus, and the Avoodpecker Melanerpcs torquatus, attracted most attention, but 
I have eAmi’y* reason to believe that numerous other Passeres make up the list. 
Many of the Mammalia are abundant; chief among the.se are the Black- 
tail deer; the antelope; Cams latrans) with badgers and skunks. Rodents am 
especially* numerous, as Photiiontys bulbivorus ; Panttas a. qnadrwttlatus\ a small 
species of Spermophilus; at least four hares, namely, Lepus canipcstris, L, cailolis, 
