iSijo.] Mearns, Arizo?ia Mountain Birds. C^ 



roosted on the mountain at night, returning to their feeding ground 

 amongst the oaks of Tonto Basin, about 2000 feet below, in the morning; 

 late in the day they again resorted to the pine trees on the mountain. I 

 did not find its nest in the pines, but procured both young and eggs in the 

 cypress brakes on the mountain sides near the Natural Bridge on Pine 

 Creek, in Tonto Basin, somewhat below the pine forests. It was quite 

 common in the highest Mogollons and around the base of the San Fran- 

 cisco cone in May and June, at which season it spent much time in 

 aspen groves. 



Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — This Dove breeds, but is not 

 generally common in the mountains. It was occasionally seen in open 

 valleys at high levels. In an open space where I camped, on the base of 

 the San Francisco cone, they were so numerous that one of the soldiers 

 with me shot enough for a pot-pie for the whole party. The altitude of 

 this camp was not far from 11,000 feet. 



Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — Seen soaring around the San 

 Francisco peaks, and the highest backbone of the Mogollon range; but it 

 generally breeds below the pine timber, often selecting caves for the 

 purpose. 



Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Occasionally seen in the 

 mountains at all seasons. 



Accipiter cooperi. Cooper's Hawk. — Although resident through the 

 pine belt, this Hawk is more common in the lower country, breeding 

 abundantly in the wooded canons of the foot-hills. 



Accipiter atricapillus striatulus. Western Goshawk. — An immature 

 specimen, perhaps young of the year, started from an aspen thicket, not 

 far from the timber line on San Francisco Mountain, June 7, 1S87. An 

 adult was seen, June 3, about five miles from the base of the mountain, in 

 the pine woods. Another adult was seen in the upper edge of the cedar 

 forest, below Stoneman's Lake, on May 21. All were too shy to be shot. 



Buteo borealis calurus. Western Red-tail. — Breeds commonly 

 throughout the belt of pine timber, as well as on the lower mesas and in 

 the deep valleys and canons of Arizona. 



Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. — A young one, recently taken 

 from a nest in a pine-tree in the great San Francisco forest, was seen in 

 confinement by our party. We frequently saw a pair of these Eagles 

 about the San Francisco peaks, in June. They were sometimes seen flying 

 over the highest peaks. I once saw one fly towards a Clarke's Crow that 

 sat on a dead tree. The Nutcracker made more clatter and outcry than a 

 Flicker chased by a Hawk. 



Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. — A pair of these birds has 

 bred for many years past in a pine-tree near Stoneman's Lake, altitude 

 6300 feet. Possibly this represents the extreme southwestern limit of its 

 known breeding range. 



Falco mexicanus. Prairie Falcon. — On the 4th of June, 1S87, the 

 windiest day I ever experienced, I succeeded with a companion in reach- 

 ing the summit of Humphrey's Peak — the highest land in Arizona* — 



*Altitude 12,562 feet (Wheeler). 



