84, 



BIRDS OF THE ROCKIES 



Desert Horned Larks 



" They were plentiful in this parched region " 



If I had only been content to remain among the moun- 

 tains, where, even though the climbing was difficult, 

 there were brawling brooks, shady woodlands, and green, 

 copsy vales in which many feathered friends had lurked ! 

 But wherever the bird-lover chances to be, his mania 

 leads him to look for his favorites, and he is seldom 

 disappointed ; rather, he is often delightfully surprised. 

 People were able to make a livelihood here, as was 

 proved by the presence of the village and a few scatter- 

 ing dwellings on the plain; then why not the birds, 

 which are as thrifty and wise in many ways as their 

 human relatives? In a short time my baggage was 

 stowed in a safe place, and, field-glass in hand, I 

 sallied forth for my first jaunt on a Colorado plain. 

 But, hold ! what were these active little birds, hopping 

 about on the street and sipping from the pool by the 

 village well? They were the desert horned larks, so 

 called because they select the dry plains of the West 

 as their dwelling place. They are interesting birds. 



