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The A. O. U. Trip to California
Members of the American Ornithologists‘ Union and their friends, numbering forty odd in all, left Chicago in two special Pull- man cars on the evening of May 3, and reached San Francisco on the afternoon of May L}.
Thanks to the experience of those in charge of the arrangements, the journey was so admirably planned that the time en route was used to the best possible advantage: while the presence of authorities on the physi— ography, fauna, and flora of the region traversed added immeasurably to the inter» est as well as to the educational value of the excursion.
Doubtless no party of excursionists ever crossed the continent who gained so much knowledge of its geography and natural history in an eleven days" outing; and it is perfectly safe to add that no car-windows were ever looked front so continuously and so eagerly as were those of the ‘ Fama’ and 'Debrosa,‘ on this memorable transconti- nental journey.
The rallying point of the tour may be said to have been the residence of Ruthven Deane in Chicago, where. on the evening of May 3, Mr. and Mrs. Deane received the members of the Union. who were about to leave for the west, as well as those less for- tunate ones residing in and about Chicago who were unable to leave home.
Among the members of the Union who formed the party were C. Hart Merriam, J. A, Allen, B. Bishop. H. C. Bumpus, F. M, Chapman, Mrs. E. B. Davenport. l. Dwight, Jr.,]. H. Fleming. L. A. Fuertes, T. S. Palmer and Otto Widmann.
Traveling over the Santa Fe line, we passed through the fertile bottom-lands of the Missouri and Kansas rivers on Monday, May 5, to emerge, later in the day,on the rolling prairies.
The next morning we awoke on the Arid Plains to hear the song of the Western Meadowlark. Prairie dogs, an occasional coyote, and, shortly before reaching Trini»
dad. a Magpie afiorded convincing evidence that we were indeed in the west.
Late in the evening our cats were de- tached from the train at Lamy, t'. M., and run up over the short branch road to the old city of Santa Fe. where we remained until the afternoon otthe following day.
This, our first opportunity to take to the field, “as improved to the utmost. the mem— bers of the party radiating in every direc- tion, to return later and compare ohserva» tions—by no means the least pleasurable part of the day‘s experience.
At Santa Fe twenty-nine species of birds were recorded. among them being the Mountain Bluebird, House Finch, Sav" Flycatcher. Violet-green Swallow, Lewis s Woodpecker, Lozuli Bunting, Audubon's‘ Warbler, and other western birds equally
attractive to eastern eyes
May 7 ourears were sitle»tl'acked at Adi. mana, and the petrified lorest. distant six miles. was visited. We were here in the heart of the desert and our start was made too late in the day to see or hear many birds, but a short visit to the t'uttonwoods bordering the Ptlerco, in the showed an nnexper-tetl nutnher ol hinls, — Mocking » birds. Bullock's Orioles, Ar- kansas Flycatcllers, Black»thmaletl Spar» ron-s and other species, being common and in song.
We reached the Grand Cafiull on the evening of May 3, early enough to have a glimpse of ’ marvels before the failing light shrouded its vastnesses in gloom; and to seethe white-throated Swifts dart twitter- ing to and fro over apparently bottomless gorges.
We remained at the Canon until the morn- ing of May ti, and consequently had two full days in which to learn something oi the Some of the party entered the canon and descended to the Colorado river, nearly five thousand feet below, while others explored the pine,
evening.
bird life of the region,
pition and juniper forests of the surround- ing country, where some thirty-eight species of birds were identified. This number in—
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