SOME WESTERN HORIZONS. 111. 



It is hard to realize that so complete a change in avifauna could take 

 place between Julesburg, Colorado, and Green River, Wyoming. To be 

 sure we had passed over "the mountains" during the night of May 

 17th. But if we were inclined to be disappointed at having missed the 

 mountains we had our compensations — there were no mountains there. 

 The gentle swell of land w-hich represents the Rockies in Wyoming, 

 along the Union Pacific tracks, is almost a dead level and practically 

 barren. Along some stretches the land is absolutely destitute of vegeta- 

 tion, while the rest boasts only stunted sage. As we neared Green River 

 the landscape broke up a little and we began to traverse little valleys of 

 denudation in the deposits of the old Eocene lakes. At Green River 

 station the erosion reaches its maximum development and " The Buttes," 

 rising some 500 feet above the town, are really quite impressive phe- 

 nomena. The "Green " River is brown and its branches are browner. 

 Scarcely a bud had started and two days of our three day stay were 

 practically nullified by the searching north wind which prevailed, bearing 

 with it occasional skiffs of snow. 



A chilly sortie was made into the stunted brush lying at the south edge 

 of the town, and here most of the records were made. 

 THE GREEN RIVER HORIZON. 



Spotted Sandpiper. Bank Swallow. 



Mourning Dove. Yellow W^arbler. 



Desert Sparrow Hawk. Audubon's Warbler. 



Lewis' Woodpecker. Western Yellow-throat. 



Say's Pewee. Long-tailed Chat. 



Western Meadowlark. Catbird. 



Brewer's Blackbird. Rock Wren. 



Western Lark Sparrow. Russet-backed Thrush, 



Western Chipping Sparrow. Western Robin. 



Mountain Song Sparrow. ' Mountain Bluebird. 



Violet-green Swallow. 



The next stop was made at Fossil, Wyoming. Here, alto our fore- 

 most thought was of ancient fish, the birds were not neglected. Fossil 

 itself is the merest hamlet drearily situated near the union of Twin 



..a-V^ 



