225 
spective species. Not a small portion of the country traversed by the Survey was found 
to he remarkably destitute of birds, not only as regards the number of species, but also 
the number of individuals seen was small. In some sections, as on the dry and arid 
plains, the nature of the country itself furnishes the cause of this ; but elsewhere, I am 
inclined to attribute much of this paucity of bird life to the presence of sheep and to 
the effect they have had on the vegetation, for over a very large region in Southern 
California these animals exist in such numbers as to fairly render their pasture-grounds 
little else save howling deserts, attractive neither to themselves nor to any other liv¬ 
ing creature. Not only is this true of the lower, more accessible, portions, but it was 
found to be the case in the lofty mountains of the Sierra, where thousands of sheep 
are driven in summer, their combined numbers resulting almost in the obliteration of 
every green thing within their reach. Not only are destroyed the plants and tlowers 
upon which depend the presence of insects, which furnish to many birds a large pro¬ 
portion of their food ; but this is accompanied by the destruction of much of the under¬ 
growth, so essential to the mode of life of many of the smaller species. In no other 
way could I account for the fewness of birds in districts that seemed possessed of all 
the natural requisites to attract them in great numbers, but where the painful deso¬ 
lation brought about from this cause was accompanied by a marked scarcity of feath¬ 
ered life. 
The hekl-work began June 1, at which time Doctors Rothrock, Loew, and myself 
visited the island of Santa Cruz, the most inland of the group of islands lying in the 
Santa Barbara Channel. The two weeks spent on the island were mostly occupied in 
making general collections in natural history. The surface of the islaud is extremely 
rough, and broken up in every direction by rocky ridges, which render all travel ex¬ 
ceedingly difficult; and in the little time that was spent in collecting the land-birds 
it is not probable that by any means all of the species were found. All that came un¬ 
der notice occur on the mainland, and ditfer in no respect. Many species of sea-birds 
resort to these islands for the purpose of reproduction; fewer, however, to Santa Cruz 
than to the others. 
Two species, Uria columbe and Fratercula cirrliata, w r ero found to breed here ; this 
fact being of interest as indicating a range at this season much farther south than sus¬ 
pected before. Among other objects of value obtained here was a series of specimens 
of the little “Island Fox,” ( Vuepes littoralis,) an animal but little known to naturalists, 
and of great rarity in collections. They inhabit the islands in very great numbers, 
and are found, as far as known, nowhere else. A quite extensive collection of fish and 
mollusks was also made. 
In connection with our work on the island, it is a pleasant duty to mention the cour¬ 
tesy and many favors our party received from the officers of the Hassler, who one and 
all interested themselves in the object of our visit, and contributed much to its suc¬ 
cess. Indeed, it was through the kindness of Capt. H. C. Taylor that we were enabled 
to visit Santa Cruz, which otherwise would have been most difficult. 
Upon joining the main party at Los Angeles, June 15, the original plan for the sea¬ 
son’s work was changed so as to admit a small natural-history party in charge of Dr. 
Rothrock to return to Santa Barbara, aud there meeting Dr. Yarrow to prosecute our 
work in connection with archaeological researches in this neighborhood. The locality 
was found to be extremely rich in Indian mounds used as burial-places, and, as a result 
of labors here, a large collection of Indian remains and implements was exhumed. 
The collections in zoology made here were also quite large, including not only a 
large number of birds, but also many insects, fish, reptiles, &c., for many of which we are 
indebted to the zeal and interest displayed by Mr. C. J. Shremaker. 
Leaving Santa Barbara July 13, we proceeded to old Fort Tejon, there joining the main 
party. About this point rather more than a month was occupied, two short trips being 
made to the neighboring mountains, where several rare and interesting birds were 
found. 
September 4 the party set out for the Mount Whitney country, where the time up to 
the middle of October was taken up. The mountains of this region are, many of them, 
' well wooded, mostly with pine and tamerack, while the streams, as usual in these high 
altitudes, were more or less densely fringed with deciduous vegetation. The avian 
fauna was found at this time to be quite limited in the aggregate of species, and, as a 
rule, not numerously represented in individuals. The absence of the Warbler tribe 
( Sylvicolidce ) was especially noticeable. The only ones of this family seen here were 
the Helminthophaga celata, Dendroica audubonii, 1) occidentalis, and Myiodioctes pusillus, 
all of them being comparatively rare. 
Returning from Mount Whitney, the remaining interval up to October 15 was spent 
near Kernville and at Walker’s Basin, when the field-work ended. 
The season’s collection of birds amounted to 700 specimens, representing 127 species. 
In addition, a considerable number were observed in greater or less numbers, and find 
mention in the report. A list of the specimens, with the localities where collected, fol¬ 
low each species; and, in the case of those less known, careful measurements are given. 
