10 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



saw a cluster of these bugs in the top of a bush. On knocking 

 them into the umbrella, I found three adults of this large 

 and beautiful species. There were twent}^ of the larval 

 forms in the cluster. The males have enormously developed 

 posterior legs. Cicada were very scarce, only one species 

 was taken. Its note is weak and seldom heard. 



The bird fauna of the Santa Ritas is one of the most 

 interesting of North America. At the earliest daybreak 

 their music began, a veritable medley of melody. In the 

 wild, rocky canyons, birds are rather scarce, but around this 

 ranch house, situated as it was, in a dense grove of live oaks 

 and surrounded by thickets of thorny bushes, with an 

 abundance of water, made it an ideal resort for birds. 

 Vermin, such as wild cats, lynx, hawks and other enemies 

 of bird life, were welcomed with a charge of shot by the 

 ranchman. 



The white-winged dove was so noisy its cooing was 

 deafening. July 14, I noticed that birds of several species 

 were very much excited and in great commotion in the trees 

 overhead, screaming and chattering at some object high 

 up in a live oak tree under which I sat. A female white- 

 winged dove fluttered to the ground almost at our feet, as 

 though in great distress, quivering her wings and acting as 

 though wounded. She seemed to be trying to entice some 

 enemy away from her nest, telling us as plainly as though 

 she could speak, that her babies were in peril. Scanning 

 the branches of the tree from which she came, I expected to 

 see an owl,- but finally discovered a large snake stretched 

 along a limb. A load of shot brought it writhing and twist- 

 ing to the ground. Noticing a lump in its Ijody, I cut it 

 open and found it had swallowed a young Arizona Hooded 

 Oriole. This snake was five feet long and was called by 

 the ranchman, a bullsnake. When the body of the snake 

 was disposed of, the birds resumed their normal occupations. 

 They were very tame and came close to the cabin door, 

 apparently realizing that they were protected. The ranch- 

 man enjoys their company and does not allow them to be 



