324 ORNITUOLOGY. 



altitude." The species just intutioucd is not the exclusive component of 

 the "sage-brush" however, for <piite a uuniber of other shrubs, belonging 

 to many genera and several widely-different orders, are mingled with it in 

 varying abundance, according to the nature of the soil, some prevailing on 

 tlic uKtst arid or sandy places, and others thriving best where the soil is 

 strongly alkaline. Tliose additional to the species given above, are maiidy 

 the following, named in the order of their abundance: Ohione confertifoUa 

 ("grease- wood"), 0. canescens, Sarcohatus vermiculatus, Linosyris viscidijiora, 

 Grayia ])olyffaIoidcs, Halostachys occidentalis, Linosyris gravcolens ("broom- 

 sage"), Artemisia trifida, A. spinescens, Eurotia lanata, Purshia tridentuta, 

 Uphedra antisyphilitica, and Tctradymia canescens. [See Botanical lieport, p. 

 xxvi.] The genera named above belong to the following orders: Artemisia, 

 Linosyris, and Tctradymia to the Compositie; Ohione, Sarcohatus, Grayia, 

 and Eurotia to the Chenopodiaceae; Purshia to the Rosacse, and Ephedra 

 to the Gnetacese. The general aspect of these plants is quite the same, 

 however, in the different species, all having a similar scraggy, stunted 

 appearance, with dull-grayish foliage in which there is but the slightest 

 suspicion of green, and a characteristic, disagreeable, ])uiigent odor; and 

 in the ntter absence of other shrubs over areas hundreds of square miles 

 in extent, they constitute a most miserable apology for vegetation. 



The most numerous animals of these arid wastes are the various species 

 of lizards, which are startled at every steji as one walks along, and run 

 nimbly to one side — some kinds disappearing like a flash, so swift are they, 

 while the larger species in their flight scatter the fine gravel and sand so as 

 to make it fairly rattle. These reptiles were most numerous in the western 

 depression, and it was found that they abounded most on the burning 

 deserts, farthest from water. 



The birds characteristic of the sage-brush are not ntimerous, either as 

 to species or individuals, but several of them are peculiar to these districts; 

 the characteristic or peculiar species are these: — 



1. Oreoscoptes nioiitanns. 



2. Aini)liis[>izii iieviideiisis. 



3. Aiiii)liis])iza hiliiii'ata. 



4. Spizella brewoii. 



5. Chondestes graminaca. 



C. Eivmupliila alix'stris. 

 7. Antrostomus uuttalli. 

 S. Cliordeiles hi'iiryi. 

 0. Speotyto liypoga'a. 

 10. Ccntrocercu.s luopliasianus. 



