24 
THE HISTORY OF COLORADO ORNITHOLOGY * 
By ROBERT B. ROCKWELL 
VOL. XI 
WITH TWO MAPS 
I N choosing the history of Colorado ornithology as my subject tonight, my desire 
is to place before my hearers the present status of ornithological knowledge in 
Colorado, rather than to enter into a discussion of the purely historical phase of 
the subject. In order to make the present status clear it is necessary to go back to 
the beginning and trace the gradual development of the subject down to the 
present time. 
MAP OK COLORADO SHOWING THE ROUTES FOLLOWED BY THE VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS 
W T HICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF COLORADO ORNITHOLOGY 
I 
Publisht by permission of Clason Map Co., Denver 
In a state like Massachusetts or New 7 York, w r here naturalists have been at 
work for over tw r o centuries, and great masses of data and information on the sub- 
ject have been publisht which are not now available, it w T ould be practically im- 
possible to make a close examination of all the contributory elements; but in our 
own state, where less than half a century has elapsed since the first systematic 
study of our birds was begun, and where the greater part of the early investigations 
w 7 ere recorded in the government reports, the task is much simpler. 
The first definite reference to Colorado birds is found in Lieutenant Pike’s ac- 
count of his historic trip thru this state during 1806-7. He mentions the raven, 
*Read before the December meeting of the Colorado Biological Society. 
