88 



BIRDS OF THE ROCKIES 



grass, now and then adding to her accumulation until 

 her mouth was full. For a long time she zigzagged 

 about, going by provoking fits and starts. At length 

 fortune favored me, for through my levelled glass I 

 suddenly caught sight of a small, grayish-looking ball 

 hopping and tumbling from a cactus clump toward the 

 mother bird, who jabbed the contents of her bill into 

 a small, open mouth. I followed a bee-line to the 

 spot, and actually had to scan the ground sharply for 

 a few moments before I could distinguish the youngster 

 from its surroundings, for it 

 had scjuatted flat, its gray 

 and white plumage har- 

 monizing perfectly with 

 ^„ the grayish desert grass. 



It was a dear little 

 - thing, and did not try to 

 escape, although I took it up 

 in my hand and stroked 

 its downy back again and 

 again. Sometimes it closed its eyes 

 as if it were sleepy. When I placed 

 ' It was a dear it on the ground, it hopped away a few inches, and 

 by accident punctured the fleshy corner of its mouth 

 with a sharp cactus thorn, and had to jerk itself loose, 

 bringing the blood from the lacerated part. Meanwhile 

 the mother lark went calmly about her household duties. 



little thing " 



