The field book covers James Cooper's travels from Olympia, Washington Territory, to San Francisco and the Santa Clara Valley in California. Included are observations of animals, plants, and the natural features of the area, particularly the Columbia River Region. The journal also includes observations on his homeward trip down the California Coast, through Panama, and as far north as Cape Hatteras. He confined his observations to natural phenomena and had little to say about events of the day. He highlights the text with notes in the margins indicating when he is describing birds, weather and other pertinent details. Locations are indicated at the top of pages. There are plant specimens and two snake skins in the notebook. Includes an appendixes and indexes describing birds and trees of California and Columbia Region.
Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu.
