Vol. XVII 
pea Brown, Coxditions of Bird Life in Arizona. 31 
THE CONDITIONS GOVERNING BIRD LIFE IN 
ARIZONA. 
BY HERBERT BROWN. 
THE conditions governing bird life in Arizona are not as else- 
where ‘inthe States.’ This country is but thinly settled, the big 
towns, particularly, being few and far between. Outside of their 
immediate vicinity the shot gun practically disappears, and the 
country man and boy cut but small figure in the increase or 
decrease of birds. The general aridity of the country is such 
that vast tracts of land must, perforce, remain forever uninhab- 
ited. Cattle interests are, however, a dominant feature in the 
development of the country, and to these, more than all else com- 
bined, must be charged the obliteration of bird life in the so- 
called desert portions of the Territory. 
The stock business at one time promised enormous profits and 
because of this the country was literally grazed to death. During 
the years 1892 and 1893 Arizona suffered an almost continuous 
drouth, and cattle died by the tens of thousands. From 50 to go 
per cent of every herd lay dead on the ranges. The hot sun, dry 
winds and famishing brutes were fatal as fire to nearly all forms 
of vegetable life. Even the cactus, although girdled by its millions 
of spines, was broken down and eaten by cattle in their mad frenzy 
for food. This destruction of desert herbage drove out or killed 
off many forms of animal life hitherto common to the great plains 
and mesa lands of the Territory. Cattle climbed to the tops of 
the highest mountains and denuded them of every living thing 
within reach. Often many miles from water and too weak to 
reach it they perished miserably. I saw, later, what I had never 
expected to see in Arizona, Mexicans gathering bones on the 
ranges and shipping them to California for fertilizing purposes. 
I have thus particuiarized, for in these dry bones can be read the 
passing of the Partridge from many a broad mile of the Territory, 
in fact they practically disappeared from four fifths of the country. 
When food and protection were abundant these birds were plenti- 
ful from the Colorado to the Rio Grande. On the plains and in 
