58 ' Mearns oil Biid:> of Arizona. [Janumy 



The rocky sides of the canon were covered with cacti of diver- 

 sified shapes, from the gigantic Cereiis to the EcJilnocacti and 

 Op2intice. Beautiful flowers grow beneath the tall cottonwoods, 

 which here forni the handsomest groves that I have yet seen. 

 The caiion eclioed the voices of hundreds of feathered song- 

 sters, and tlie hum of insects and countless Hummingbirds filled 

 the air. Flocks of beautiful White-winged Doves drank upon the 

 sandy lM-ink and then betook themseh'cs to the dense foliage over- 

 head, where their loud and mournful cooing hlled the air. An 

 occasional glimpse of the gorgeous plumage of the Saint Lucas 

 Cardinal was obtained, and shining Phainopeplas darted after 

 insects from the sides of the canon 



In the earlv morning I visited this sylvan solitude, and could 

 not abstract myself until tlie morning was far spent ; nor was the 

 time idly employed. I found a pretty Thrush that was new to 

 me, and observed the nesting habits of several rare birds. 



Here I again found the Zone-tailed Hawk. A female was 

 shot as she flew screaming at me, and the nest was soon found in 

 a Cottonwood near \)y . The male parent sat upon the eggs, and 

 flew away when I got close up to the tree and shouted. It dis- 

 appeared after circling over tlie canon a few times and did not 

 return while I was there, although I spent several hours in the 

 vicinity. I climbed with vast exertion to tlie nest, which was 

 built in a fork. al)0ut hftv feet from the ground, and was exactly 

 like the hrst one. It was composed of sticks, lined only with 

 green leaves of cottonwood attachetl to the twigs. It was rather 

 concave, and contained two eggs, which difler considerably in 

 size, shape, and markings from those first found ; but there can 

 scarcely be any donlit about the identification, tor the female par- 

 ent was shot close to the nest, while the other bird w^as distinctly 

 seen when flying from it, and was black, having its tail barred 

 with white below. Perhaps, however, it is safest to say that 

 these eggs are not al)solutely free from the suspicion of being 

 those of Urubithiga anthracina^ as the parent seen to leave the 

 nest was not shot. They are oval, considerably smaller at one 

 end ; ground-color white, with yellowish weather-stains in spots. 

 One measures 63 X 45 mm. It is finely sprinkled with dark sepia- 

 browft specks, and a few paler brown and lavender spots, having 

 a smeary granular appearance. All the marks are most numerous 

 at the large extremity. The other measures 61 X 43 mm. It is 



