ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE WEST.

BY J. A. ALLEN.

III. NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE VALLEY.

WE arrived at Ogden, Utah, September 1st, and spent the following five weeks ornithologizing in the northeastern portion of the Great Salt Lake Valley. Although the vicinity of Ogden was the principal field of our operations, we made several excursions to the neighborhood of Salt Lake City, and to different points along the eastern shore of the lake. During this time we collected or observed nearly one hundred and forty species of birds, indicating for this locality a comparatively rich avian fauna. From the lateness of the season several of the summer birds had already migrated southward, among these Bullock's oriole and the white pelican. The latter, from its great abundance in summer, forms an interesting feature of the ornithology of the Great Salt Lake Valley. Other species were daily arriving from the mountains or .from more northern districts.

The country about Ogden presents unusually varied conditions of locality and climate. The Wahsatch Mountains rise abruptly near the eastern shore of the lake, and some of the peaks are, even in summer, dotted with fields of snow. The broad expanse of water formed by the lake is bordered at intervals with extensive marshes, between which and the mountains stretches a broad arid plain. The willows and cottonwoods that fringe the rivers formerly constituted the only arborescent vegetation in the valley, but now extensive orchards and the numerous trees planted for shade and ornament furnish more favorable haunts for various woodland birds, which are every year increasing in number. While in the valley the summer is almost tropical, a journey of a few hours may take one to the alpine region of the mountains;- from the burning sands of the arid plain to fields of perpetual snow. There is thus as great a variety of localities and climate as can be often found in so limited an area.

The heat throughout the month of September was to us very oppressive, the temperature being that of a New England July; and no rain, it is said, had fallen for nearly four months. During

the first week of October the first snow of the season began to cover the higher parts of the mountains, extending lower with each successive storm, till on the 7th of the month their whole slopes were covered, and rain and sleet fell in the valley. The winds became cold and chilling, and winter seemed to have succeeded summer without the intervention of autumn. Such indeed this year was almost literally the case.

A little more than twenty years ago, as everybody doubtless knows, the Great Salt Lake Valley was entirely a desert, its characteristic vegetation being the "sage brush" and "grease wood," and such similar well-known plants as are found throughout the more excessively arid parts of the West. During the time that has since elapsed the mountain streams have been tapped by the industrious Mormon emigrants, and a portion of their waters conducted in ditches over the plains; thereby literally transforming the barren desert into fruitful fields. Considerable areas have thus been reclaimed, orchards and farms that rival in productiveness those of the most favored portions of our country replacing the repulsive sage brush and its kindred plants. These changes have of course greatly modified the fauna, increasing the number of all the smaller birds, but especially the granivorous and frugivorous kinds, whilst the influx of settlers has materially reduced the number of the water-fowl, although their abundance still forms the most characteristic ornithological feature of the region. Three species are reported to have been recently introduced, which give promise of multiplying rapidly and becoming thoroughly naturalized. These are the European house sparrow (Passer domesticus), the common eastern quail (Ortyx Virginianus), and the California quail (Lophortyx Californicus), all of which, as I was informed, had raised young the past season (1871).

With these general remarks I now pass to a hasty enumeration of the species that came under our observation; premising, however, that the only previous paper especially devoted to the ornithology of this region consists of a brief report by Professor Baird on the birds collected by Captain Stansbury's Expedition,* published in 1852, in which are mentioned thirty-one species.

Of the family of Thrushes, we obtained but four species-the robin, the catbird, mountain mockingbird and hermit thrush. The latter only came down from the mountains about October 1st, * Stansbury's Expedition to the Great Salt Lake, pp. 314-325.

and we saw but few specimens, but the others were abundant. The robin was formerly rare, but being a general favorite with the settlers it has been carefully protected and seems to be annually increasing in numbers. The mountain mockingbird, familiarly known to the settlers as the "gray bird," is said to have similarly increased, but through its depredations on the smaller fruits-even the peach not escaping its ravages-it has become a proscribed race. The catbird we found as numerous in the thickets bordering the streams, as we ever saw it in the East. The arctic bluebird is well known as a spring and autumn visitor, but seems to be most numerous in spring. The titlark (Anthus Ludovicianus) abounds at the same seasons, being first observed by us September 15th, though it probably breeds on the neighboring snowy summits of the Wahsatch Mountains. Of the Sylvicolidæ or wood-warblers, we collected about a dozen species. The Maryland yellow-throat, the summer yellowbird (Dendroca astiva), and the yellow-breasted chat are probably common summer residents in the valley; the Blackburnian, Audubon's, the Nashville, the golden-crowned (Helminthophaga celata) Macgillivray's and the black-capped flycatching warblers, are all doubtless more or less common at the same season in the adjoining mountains. Nearly all were common in September in the vicinity of Ogden. The ruby-crowned kinglet became frequent about October 1st in the valley, as it had been previously in the mountains. The American ouzel (Cinclus Mexicana) was abundant along the mountain streams, and the rock wren was very numerous everywhere on the rocky declivities of the mountains about Ogden, above the upper terrace of the valley. The black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus, var. septentrionalis) was an abundant inhabitant of the willow thickets bordering the Ogden and Weber Rivers, and the reedy marshes were the favorite haunts of thousands of marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris). All the swallows disappeared soon after our arrival; the most frequently observed species being the barn swallow, though the rough-winged and the violet-green were both frequently noticed during the first week of September. The nests of the cliff swallow seen adhering to the cliffs, especially in Weber and Echo Cañons, indicated that this species was also an abundant summer visitant. The red-eyed, warbling, and solitary vireos were all well represented and formed the only species of their family we saw. The cedar bird, the loggerhead shrike, and

the Louisiana tanager were each more or less frequent. The horned lark, so characteristic of the Plains, was also numerous.

The Tyrannidae were well represented, the western race of the wood pewee being abundant, as were also two species of Empidonar, one being the western race of the yellow-bellied, and the other a representative of the least pewee of the East. The kingbird and the Arkansas flycatcher were also both frequently observed during the first half of September, and two specimens of the olive-sided pewee were taken.

The great family of the sparrows and finches (Fringillide) was represented by eighteen species, the greater part of which were common. One half are strictly western, while the others are common species in the Atlantic States. Among the latter were the bay-winged, savanna, the yellow-winged, chipping, song and Lincoln's sparrows, the common gold-finch or yellow bird, and the purple finch, all but the last named being either common or exceedingly abundant. Of the western species, the western white crowned, or Gambel's sparrow, appeared in the valley in great numbers about September 15th; a few specimens of the slatecolored sparrow (Passerella "schistacea") were seen at about the same date, and the Oregon snowbird became common towards the close of the month. Bell's sparrow (Poospiza Bellii) was rather numerous on the dry plains, keeping on the ground among the sage brush. The western gold-finch (Chrysomitris psaltria) was also quite numerous, associating freely with the common species; and a few specimens of the lazuli finch were also taken. The arctic towhee (Pipilo "arcticus") was an abundant inhabitant of the thickets, in habits strongly resembling the common towhee of the East; though its song is somewhat similar to that of the eastern bird, its call note is totally different, quite nearly resembling the call note of the catbird. Blanding's finch (Pipilo chlorurus) began to appear in numbers about September 20th, from its breeding haunts in the mountains. The clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) was generally found in company with the chipping sparrow, and was almost equally abundant. The black-headed grosbeak is a summer resident, but like its eastern congener, the rose-breasted, departs early for the south, and had already migrated when we arrived. It is well known as the "Pea-bird," from its fondness for green peas, of which it is so destructive that it is considered an obnoxious species.

The Icterida, or blackbirds, grackles and their allies, were represented by five or six species, of which three, the yellow-headed, red-winged and Brewer's, occurred in immense numbers. The yellow-headed and red-winged live in the marshes, from which at this season they make excursions in great flocks over the neighboring country, by their voracity and numbers causing no little loss to the farmers, by destroying the ripening corn. The Brewer's blackbird, though less an inhabitant of the marshes, to a considerable extent associates with them, and is only less destructive because less numerous. The immense flocks of these associated species bring vividly to mind the descriptions of Wilson and others of the hordes of red-wings and grackles that occur in autumn and winter in the more southern portions of the Atlantic States. The meadow lark is the next most abundant species of this group. The cowblackbird, though perhaps occurring, was not observed, but to our great surprise the bobolink was quite frequent. Bullock's oriole is also a common summer resident, taking the place of our familiar Baltimore of the East.

Among the Corvida, the raven and the magpie were both common, the latter near the streams and the former more generally distributed; the great-crested, Woodhouse's and the Canada jays were of frequent occurrence in the mountains, the former being familiarly known as the "mountain jay." The common crow is said also to be common, but it escaped our notice.

Nuttall's whippoorwill was abundant on the lower parts of the mountains, and we heard scores of them near the mouth of Ogden Cañon on several occasions, after nightfall. Though so numerous, all our efforts to procure specimens were futile, as it did not usually manifest its presence till after it became too dark for it to be clearly distinguished. We saw the last one October 7th, during a severe snow-storm on the mountains north of Ogden, the snow having already accumulated to the depth of several inches. The snow had probably surprised the bird as much as its own presence under such peculiar circumstances did us. The night hawk and the broad-tailed humming bird were both common through the greater part of September, and the kingfisher is doubtless a common resident throughout the year.

The woodpeckers, owing to the scarcity of woodland, were sparsely represented. Only two species were noticed, one of which, apparently the downy woodpecker, was seen once, and the