3 THE WILSON QUARTERLY. 



The first thing in the way of birds to attract my attention, 

 in that desert village, was a splendid pair of large, glossy 

 ravens, which were feeding in front of the hotel and along 

 the railroad track. They seemed to have no fear, and one 

 could go within twenty-five feet of them. This is the Mex- 

 ican raven, Corvus covax sinuatus. I rather envied them 

 their skins, but did not like to shoot them there, and although 

 I saw them every day, could not catch them '' out of town."' 

 Xext I found a flock of eight or ten killdeer, that seemed 

 to make their home near the water-tank, and at least four 

 miles from any other water. These, and a flock of Brewer's 

 blackbirds, constituted the bird population of the place. 

 This was on my first visit. On my next, the ravens Avere 

 not there, but the killdeers and blackbirds were the same 

 as before. 



From this point it was my custom to make daily excur- 

 sions to the river bottom, either on foot or by wagon ; and if 

 by the last I would make longer journeys across the desert 

 and among the giant cactus, coming to the river several 

 miles away. The very nearest point on the river is said to 

 be but four miles away, though it seems ten when you 

 walk it ; and the river bottom, or lower land, is from one to 

 two miles wide. The desert, in places, is utterly destitute of 

 ■vegetation, though it usually has a few scattering grease- 

 wood bushes, from one to three or four feet high, with 

 an occasional cactus, or group of them, which reach a 

 height of 30 to 40 and even 50 feet. These are straight 

 clubs, or with two or three arms, the very old ones 

 only having from five to seven or eight branches. 

 They are always full of woodpecker holes. The lower 

 places, or where water settles or runs in time of rain, 

 have mesquite, iron wood, paloverde, and other trees, 

 usually some '^5 feet high, but in places, 40 or 50 feet. 

 On the river bottom the growtli of trees, bushes, and 

 vines is very luxuriant, so that in })laces it is very difficult 

 to get through the tangle at all, or to find any game you 

 may chance to kill. But along the outer border, or Avhere 

 the desert and bottom lands meet, is wonderfullv fine 



