SO' THE WILSON QUARTERLY. 



lighted and surprised to find a fine Leconte's Thrasher. I 

 thought it strange that it should he found in such a locality. 

 The next day I was out looking for more in the same place- 

 as near as I could locate it, but I searched unsuccessfully 

 for a long time. Gradually I worked my way nearer the 

 bottom lands, and when almost on their border, though 

 still in the desert, and where the ground was broken into 

 low ridges, I saw plenty of this rare species. There 

 must have been fully fifty, in a scattering flock, as 

 we often see robins in September. My hopes were high now 

 and I thought to get a dozen or more. But the birds were 

 very wary, and ran from bush to bush, or took short flights,. 

 always designing to keep well out of gun shot range. At 

 times as they ran under a low bush, I could have killed five 

 or six at a shot had I only been nearer by one half the dis- 

 tance. I followed them about persistently as long as I could 

 find one to follow, taking very long shots from time to time, 

 and succeeded in getting just four out of the whole lot, 

 by shooting ten or twelve times. Where they went to I 

 never knew, as they seemed to scatter out in all directions, 

 and I did not see another that day. I cannot understand 

 why these birds should be so shy in such a country. Not so 

 with the woodpeckers, however, for the Indians prize their 

 feathers very highly, and have hunted them so persistently, 

 particularly the Gilded Flickers, which are plenty here, that 

 many of them will leave the cactus in which they live be- 

 fore you get within 200 yards of them. 



I fear this article is getting too long, and will give some 

 incidents of one day's shooting, and close. 



On the morning of April 16th, 1893, I started early, with 

 horse, wagon and driver, also plenty of water, hatchet, rope, 

 etc., for a day's collecting across the desert, to the west of 

 Gila Bend. No birds at first, but after a drive of a mile or 

 more I saw a small bird drop over a little ridge of lava. 

 Leaving the wagon, I went to the point where I saw it last. 

 It had vanished, but in its place I flushed a finepair of Tex- 

 an Night-hawks, both of which I secured. I have taken a 

 dozen or more about here, and all agree with each other and 



