220 Bailey, A Drop of Four Thousand Feet. [a^fU 



approach of winter. It was such good hunting ground that a 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk was taking advantage of it. 



A Dusky Grouse had been seen on the way into the mountains, 

 recently made tracks were discovered on the bank of Willow 

 Creek, and fresh sign was found later on the ridges above; 

 but most of the birds had probably been killed off by the summer 

 hunting. The Wild Turkeys that were left in the mountains 

 doubtless went below to escape the storms for no tracks were seen 

 except when we first reached Willow Creek, and some prospectors 

 who came up the Gila told us that they had encountered a large 

 number below, including bronze-colored gobblers. 



Well protected by their fur coats, small mammals were plentiful. 

 Twenty-four specimens were found in the line of traps along the 

 gulch one morning, including a shrew, and various small mice 

 and wood rats ; while saucy red squirrels scolded us from the ever- 

 green tops over the brook, and one day when camp was quiet two 

 handsome gray Abert squirrels with long winter ear tufts chased 

 each other around and around a yellow pine trunk. 



Attracted perhaps by the abundance of small mammals were 

 several hawks and owls — a Sparrow Hawk, three Red-tails, one a 

 very black melanistic bird, a Pygmy Owl, and a pair of Spotted 

 Owls. The Spotted Owls apparently made their home in the firs 

 and spruces on the wall of Willow r Creek, for their curious varied 

 calls were heard at camp nearly every night, often just at daybreak, 

 and once before dark; so different from the Horned Owl that it 

 was noticed by the camp man. "He's not the owl that makes 

 that hootin' noise?" the puzzled listener asked. On moonlight 

 nights the two birds were heard answering each other, a soft con- 

 versational who-who-who-who-who-who-who, being replied to by a 

 sharp wheck-whcck-whrck-ichcck-wheck. One of the commonest 

 calls was a short bark, and another was who-who-whoo' the last 

 whoo brought out with great emphasis. When some new calls 

 from the varied repertoire of Strix were heard, the man looked up. 

 "That aint the kind o' tune he played the other night, is it?" 

 he asked, and then as the concert continued — "What makes him 

 make such a noise? I should think he'd scare away all his game." 



In the day time flocks of striped Pine Siskins — on two days 

 a band of probably a hundred birds — wandered up and down the 



