lOO 
THE CONDOR 
VOL. VI 
cles in The Condor, and who for a decade or more was engaged in making exten- 
sive collections of the eggs of Utah birds, tells me that he has not seen a Franklin 
gull in ITtah. x'Vnother well informed student of the bird life of this state, Prof. 
Marcus li. Jones, is quoted by Davie, “Nests and Elggs of North American Birds,’’ 
on the nesting habits of the California gull, but no reference to him appears in 
connection with the Franklin gull. Ridgway in “Notes on the Bird Fauna of the 
Salt Fake Valley,” and in “(Ornithology of the Fortieth Parallel;” Merriam, “Sixth 
Annual Report, U. S. Geol. Surve}^”; Henshaw — quoting Ridgway — in “Anno- 
tated Fist of lltah Birds;’’ and Cooke in, “Birds of Colorado,” all name the Utah 
gull Lams californicus. 
It would be of interest to know w'hat data led Prof. Bailey to call this bird, 
Lams frankHui . 
Provo City, L lah. 
The Birds of the John Day Region, Oregon 
KV l.OVE HOl.MKS .MII.l.ER 
T he observations" here recorded were made during May and June of 1899 
and with the collections now in the Biology Department of the FTniversity, 
comprise the work done on the ornithology of the John Day region by the 
first University of California expedition into that part of the country. 
x\ good general account of the expedition was given before the Science x\sso- 
ciation of the Universit}^ by the geologist in charge. Dr. John C. Merriam * 
What need be added to this account will be those points regarding the topo- 
graphy that will bear directly upon the bird life. The locality known as the Cove 
is that part of the John Da}'^ basin about fifteen miles northwest of Dayville, and is 
some one hundred miles due southeast of The Dalles. Bridge Creek is a tributary 
entering the John Day, about sixty-five miles from its junction with the Columbia. 
The expedition was in the field from May 25 to July 10. A distance of some 
three hundred miles was covered 111 the round trip and a range of elevation from 
the low, hot country on the Columbia to the pine belt in the Blue Mts. Three 
permanent camps were made: first at the Bridge Creek beds, June i to 12; second, 
at the Cove, Blue Basin, June 19 to 28; third, at Fower Basin in the Cove, June 29 to 
July 2. Thus there were twenty-five days in which collecting could be done. 
Half of this time was devoted to biology, making not more than thirteen days for 
making collections. The collection numbers fifty-four birds and ten mammals 
with a few reptiles and batrachians. 
In his general discussion Dr. Merriam speaks of the desert character of the 
country and the extreme paucity of living species. The region is indeed most 
disappointing to the collector in search of existing forms, or to one on mere pleas- 
ure bent, yet I think there is not one in the party but considers this chapter in 
his experience one of the most enjoyable and profitable. 
The Bridge Creek Camp was made at Allen’s ranch, ten miles up Bear Creek 
from its junction with the John Day and twelve miles from Mitchell. The valley 
a Published by permission of Professor W. K- Ritter, head of Department of Biology. 
b “ An expedition to the John Day Region. Oregon,” J. C. Merriam, Proc. Sci. Assoc. Univ. of Calif., Vol. 
1. No. 1 . 
