VOl 'l9il VI11 ] Bailey, A Drop of Four Thousand Feet. 221 



creek, now in a compact flock, now straggling out; stopping to 

 visit the cone-laden spruce tops, then going on to the alders where, 

 bending over the little cones they showed their yellow wing bands, 

 then up and away giving their lovely eolian call on the wing. The 

 unmistakable welcome notes of a flock of Crossbills were also 

 heard in the canon. 



Robins, Ruby Kinglets, Long-crested Jays, and a number of 

 Woodpeckers were seen in the region. Borings apparently of the 

 Pileated were found in the timber from 8500 to 9600 feet, and the 

 Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker was found at 10,500 feet. At 

 about 11,000 feet a Cassin's Finch was shot. 



While we were absorbed in watching the birds and beasts of the 

 canon, heavy winds and black clouds gathering around the moun- 

 tain tops were followed by snow, and a Clarke's Crow came down 

 from the peaks to the tree tops above camp. The next morning- 

 ice was an inch thick on the water pail, and in the cold dark canon 

 one pool was frozen so deep that it held the weight of a man. By 

 some open water an Ouzel stood on a stone with its feathers fluffed 

 up. But though looking cold it flew down into the water, hopped 

 out onto a cake of ice and stood there as unconcernedly as if on a 

 sun-warmed rock. 



More snow fell and it kept getting colder till on the morning 

 of the twenty-fourth of October — the day after the last thrush 

 was seen — the mercury stood at 14° Fahr. by our camp thermom- 

 eter which registered so little below that the temperature was 

 probably nearer zero. That day Mr. Bailey ran a zone line to 

 the top of the 11,000 foot peak above us, and saw white-tailed 

 deer and followed tracks of a mountain lion through the snow. 

 Down in camp it was cold work writing up notes even with big 

 logs blazing in front of the tent. 



When the snowstorms had cleared the sky we had glorious days. 

 The air was as clean and strong as on a mountain top and the sky 

 such a deep dark blue it was hard to keep one's eyes on the ground. 

 At night in the evergreen openings, the moonlight on the snow was 

 doubly good to look at in New Mexico, and revived memories of 

 beautiful white northern winters. 



But soon a second storm began gathering around the peaks, black 

 clouds hanging low over them and wind whistling through the 



