The Birds of Rock Canyon, Arizona 67 



and yellow pine, which did much toward softening the dry 

 harshness of the desert below. 



The flower season had passed its zenith at the time of our 

 visit, but enoug-h maroon and mahogany-colored flowers re- 

 mained on the tree cactus, with some big, lemon-yellow blooms 

 on the prickly-pear, to afford an idea of the gorgeousness of 

 the landscape but a short time before. The flowers of the 

 giant cactus were just appearing; the white, waxy clusters 

 forming a crown around the apex of each trunk and arm. We 

 were also fortunate in finding two barrel cacti (Echino- 

 cactus) in bloom, with flowers of rich burnt-orange color, 

 splashed and mottled with red. The candle-bush, too, (Fou- 

 quieria) had dropped most of its odd flame-like vermilion 

 5 pikes and was beginning to send tiny ovate leaves out over 

 each spine. But the palo verde and mesquite were still in full 

 bloom, resembling nothing so much as green and yellow cumu- 

 lus clouds in the distance, and from the numbers of bees that 

 frequented them it was evident that a supply of sweets was 

 stored in these stern denizens of the waste places. Agaves 

 or century-plants, with a few thread-and-needle plants were 

 found on the rocky slopes and taluses farther up the canyon. 



By the last of May the heat was felt severely by our tem- 

 perately accustomed skins, and contrary to all expectations, 

 we did not find the air exceptionally dry, and we perspired 

 freely. Despite the noon-day heat, however, the nights and 

 mornings were always sufficiently cool to render the use of 

 sweaters a matter of satisfaction, and we slept between heavy 

 blankets with comfort. 



The month's work netted a collection of about 225 speci- 

 mens, representing 52 species and subspecies, which, with 

 observations on 13 others not collected, brought the list up 

 to G5. 



The following constitutes the list, with annotations : 



Ardea Ji. Jierodias — Great Blue Heron. One example was noted 

 at a small water-hole on the Santa Rita May 27th, and again on 

 June 1st. 



Oxyechus vociferus — Killdeer. One noted on the Santa Rita 

 May 27th. 



