BIRDS FOUND AT FORT BRIDGER, UTAH. 
A large collection of birds made at Camp Scott, Fort Bridger, Utah, by Mr. C. Drexler, in 
April, May, and June, of 1858, was received too late to have its specimens assigned to tlieir 
proper places in the present'report. The interest attaching to so excellent an illustration of the 
ornithology of the central Rocky mountains is such as to induce me to give a complete list in 
this place, especially as this will tend to throw much light upon the geographical distribution 
of our western species. A striking feature of the collection is the entire absence of many birds 
otherwise found both on the plains of Nebraska and on the Pacificjslope, as well as the presence 
of many species previously noticed only on the southern borders of New Mexico and the table 
lands of Mexico, as Selasphorus platycercus , Empidonax obscurus, Tyrannus vociferans , Tardus 
pallasii var. silens, &c. 
Fort Bridger is situated on the Black fork of Green river, a tributary of the Colorado of the 
west, about lat. 41° 20', long. 110° 30', and is said to be at an altitude of about 7,000 feet above 
the sea. There is much level land to the north and east of the fort, and mountains at no great 
distance on the south and west, covered with pines. Mr. Drexler was unable to visit these, or 
he would'doubtless have added many species of jays, woodpeckers, and other birds to his list. 
The open land about the fort is covered chiefly with low cottonwood. 
Mr. Drexler was engaged in 1857 as assistant to Dr. Cooper, the surgeon of the South Pass 
Wagon Road expedition, under Wm. M. F. Magraw, Esq. When the party was partly broken up 
in September, 1857, Mr. Drexler remained with it and spent the winter in Mr. Magraw’s camp 
on the sources of Wind river, Neb. In March he went to Fort Bridger, where the forces of tho 
United States, under General A. S. Johnston, United States army, had passed the winter, and 
there commenced his collections. In this work he received most essential and indispensable aid 
from General Johnston, by whose direction every facility was afforded him in his scientific 
operations. 
A few species, not obtained at Fort Bridger, have their particular locality attached. 
LIST OF BIRDS COLLECTED. 
Tinnunculus sparverius. 
Accipiter mexicanus. 
fuscus. 
Buteo bairdii. (West of Fort Laramie, Septem¬ 
ber 26, 1857.) 
montanus. 
Pandion carolinus. 
Bubo virginianus. 
Picus harrisii. 
gairdneri. 
Sphyrapicus nuchalis. 
Melanerpes torquatus. (West of Ft. Laramie.) 
erytlirocephalus. do. 
Colaptes mexicanus. 
Chordeiles henryi. (Abundant.) 
Selasphorus platycercus. (Abundant.) 
Ceryle alcyon. 
Tyrannus carolinensis. 
vociferans. (West of Fort Laramie 
Sept. 8, 1857.) 
verticalis. 
Contopus borealis. 
richardsonii. 
Empidonax obscurus. (Abundant.) 
minimus, 
pusillus. 
