SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF EXPLORATIONS BY THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. [Published by permission of Hon. Marshall McDonald, Commissioner of Fisheries.] NO. XIV.— BIRDS FROM THE COASTS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA AND ADJACENT ISLANDS, COLLECTED IN 1888-'89, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. BY Chas. H. Townsend, Resident N'atumlist of the Steamer Albatross. During the cruise of the Albatross from San Francisco to the Gulf of California, in the winter of 1889, anchorages were made at many islands off Upper and Lower California. Although these calls were for the l)uri)ose of drawing seines along the beaches, or conducting other fishery investigations, valuable specimens of plants and land animals w^ero usually secured. The islands at which collections were made are: San Clemente, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, Santa Kosa, and Santa Cruz, off California, and Guadaloupe, Cerros, Clarion, Socorro, San Benedicte, Carmen, George, and Angel Guardia, off" Lower Cali-fornia. Collections were also made at many places on the main-land. The naval officers attached to the vessel rendered valuable assistance to the naturalists in these gatherings, and the sailors when granted shore liberty and furnished with collecting outfits seldom failed to return well laden. BYequently more specimens were brought on board than the naturalists found time to preserve, as they were employed in caring for the fishes and other marine specimens yielded from the regu-lar dredging and fishing operations. The islands of the Santa Barbara group have hitherto been very imperfectly explored with regard to their fauna. Clarion and San Benedicte Islands, of the Rcvillagigedo group, had never before been visited by naturalists. Socorro, an island of the game group, and one abounding in peculiar apecies of vertebrates, had not been visited since the type opecimens were collected by Grayson, about the year 1870. The flora cfaL the Rcvillagigedo Islands is practically unknown, as the Albatross brought back only a small collection of flowering plants. A rich field awaits the naturalist who can explore these islands carefully. A large snake inhabits Clarion Island, but I was unable to secure the single specimen I saw. Proceedings National Museum, Vol. XIII — No. 799.
Scientific results of explorations by the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross. No. XIV..Birds from the coasts of western North America and adjacent islands, collected in 1888-'89, with descriptions of new species
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