Report of the Geological Exploration of the Fortieu Parallel (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877. Excerpt: ... List of specimens. 915, $ ad.; Dealing's Ranch, Upper Humboldt Yalley, September 10,18G8. 7T7g--11J--(?)--3 . Bill, tarsi and toes, deep black; iris, parplisb-brown. 916, $ ad. Same date, locality, and remarks. 7J--11--(?)'--3, ? PfXzEFOPEPLA Nitens. SfiiiiBBig-Pfilogonys. Ptiliogonys nitens, Swainson, Anim. Menag., 1838, 285. Giehlopsis nitens, Baird, Birds K Am., 1858, 320, 923. Phwnopepla nitens, Sclater, Proc. Z'ool. Soc. Lond., 1858, 543.---baird, Cat. X. Am. Birds, 1859, No. 234; Review, 1868, 4L6.---cooper, Orn. Oal., 131.--Coues, Key, 1872, 116; Check List, 1873, No. 120.--B. B. & R., Hist. K Am. Birds, 1, 1874, 405, pi. xvm, figs. 3, 4.--Henshaw, 1875, 229. On several occasions we heard, among the cedar and pinon woods of the desert ranges in western Nevada, a note so similar to the prolonged, querulous, rattling call of Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picus nuttalli), that we entered the fact among our notes as evidence of the occurrence of that species eastward of the Sierra. We could never see the author of these notes, however, until, on the 27th of June, 1868, when exploring the Soda Lakes of the Carson Desert, we heard near by, in a ravine of that remarkable locality, the same familiar call and immediately started in search of the bird which produced it. It was soon discovered, perched upon the summit of a large grease-wood bush, but at our approach immediately took wing, and, notwithstanding every artifice and caution on our part, kept out of gunshot range, although enticing us on by frequent halts, during which it perched upon the topmost branch of the most prominent bushes. At each flight the peculiar rattling call referred to was uttered, so that the bird so long sought was at last before us. We were greatly surprised, however, to find that i...