380 ZOOLOGY— BIRDS. 



flying fi-om side to side of the mountains, generally to the numerous cedars, 

 and uttering its peculiar notes. Its flight is undulatory, and bears nuich 

 resemblance to that of the woodpecker tribe. 



During the latter part of May, 1873, I met with this species once or 

 twice in the neighborhood of Baldy Peak, ten miles from Fort Garland. They 

 appeared very uneasy, flying about and alighting on the high pine stubs ; 

 but their extreme shyness rendered it impossible to approach within satis- 

 factory observing distance. As the previous year in Utah, where this was 

 an abundant species, their shyness and liabit of constantly moving from 

 place to place made all attempts to even procure a specimen fruitless, my 

 surprise may be imagined when, on visiting the summer cavalry camp 

 established on the Eio Grande, I found these birds regular daily visitors about 

 camp, exhibiting the same confiding familiarity as does the well known 

 Canada Jay or Whisky Jack (Perisoreus canadensis) of the North in the 

 lumberman's camp. Early in the morning, their well known hoarse, rattling 

 cries pi'oclaimed their presence, as they flew down from the tops of the high 

 pine clothed ridges, where at night they always retired to roost. So tame had 

 they become that they would frequently alight on the ground, or the low 

 branch of a tree, but a few feet distant from the lookers-on ; and on one 

 occasion a fearless individual was seen to enter a tent. On the ground, 

 their motions appeared somewhat awkward, and they Avere only perfectly 

 at home when among the i)ine trees, in a small gi-ove of wliich tlie tents 

 were pitched. They eagerly seized upon any of the refuse thrown away 

 by the cook, and scraps of meat were readilv taken ; these, if too large to be 

 swallowed, were carried up to the nearest horizontal limb, and vigcn-ously 

 hammered till reduced to proper fragments. The corn and grain scattered 

 about by the horses when feeding were also special objects of attention. 

 They were rather quarrelsome ; and, when a contented croak betrayed the 

 finder of some tidbit, a number instantly made a rush for the fortunate 

 possessor, and both pursuers and piu-sued would disappear among the pines. 

 I liavo little doubt that they nest in the cavities of trees, as one was 

 seiMi to enter a hole, which contained apparently the remains of an old nest. 

 Young birds taken in June are easilv distinguished from the old l)y the 

 general hoariness ol'tlu' plumage. In these, the bluish ash is replaced tn a 



