migrants within itself, for while it is winter in one portion, the flowers of summer are blooming in another. It is also a country of great distances, and it is very wonderful what a change in our bird fauna may be seen in traveling a few miles. It is only nine miles from Burrard Inlet to New Westminister, and yet of our summer visitors, there are some four or five species which are abundant at the latter place that are entirely unknown at the former; and so it is all through the Province, although the difference may not be so marked."
The notes of the light-house keepers on the coast of British Columbia and Washington were kindly forwarded by Dr. Merriam for the same purpose.
In 1885 the Division of Economic Ornithology was established in connection with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, at Washington, with Dr. Merriam as ornithologist and Dr. A. K. Fisher assistant ornithologist. The work on migration and distribution was continued here, and observations on the food habits of the birds were added; and still later, observations on the food of mammals became a part of the work. This report was mostly type-written by that department, proof read by Dr. Fisher, and the most of the data of 1886 and later was incorporated by him. To do this, he gave very valuable time and much intelligent labor without the hope of reward, although he was, during this time, superintendent of the extensive and important Atlantic District. Finally, we are placed under still greater obligations to the Department of Agriculture by the return, at my request, of the type-written copy.
This report aims, mainly, to show the arrivals and departures of migrating species, as well as to give a catalogue of all the species known to occur in the district. The data on the food of the birds has been mostly eliminated from the report, being usually meagre and,
