BIRDS OF THE PAP AGO SAGUARO NATIONAL MONUMENT. 21 

 BIRDS OF THE SIERRA ANCHA. 



The most striking topographical feature of Arizona is the Mogollon 

 Divide, that line of prodigious cliffs which extends diagonally nearly 

 across the State from northwest to southeast, dividing it into two 

 diverse and sharply defined sections. Above this barrier is a high 

 plateau region of pine forests ; below, low, hot deserts extend nearly 

 to the foot of the escarpment. South of the divide, smaller isolated 

 mountain ranges carry upon their summits animal and plant life 

 similar to that of the northern plateau region Boreal islands sur- 

 rounded by a sea of desert. The Sierra Ancha, forming one of these 

 southern continuations of the Mogollons, are of peculiar interest 

 from their location at the meeting point of two diverse faunas. Birds 

 of the Rocky Mountain region, characteristic of northern Arizona, 

 are here at about their southern limit; while certain species of the 

 Mexican table-land (also dwellers on the mountain tops, and of 

 which many reach southern Arizona) extend this far north and prac- 

 tically no farther. So there are found in proximity such diverse 

 species as the southern Coues flycatcher, Arizona jay, hepatic tanager, 

 painted redstart, and bridled titmouse, contrasted with the more 

 northern Batchelder woodpecker, western tanager, mountain chicka- 

 dee, and Audubon hermit thrush. 



The road to the Sierra Ancha starts northward from a point near 



the eastern end of Roosevelt Lake, some 10 milejJfrQnLjhe^dam. 



From lake to foothills 5 or 6 miles of desert are traversed, a gravelly 



mesacovjBred-JEith the usual desert vegetation saguaro, palo verde, 



-tJcotilla, mesquite/^tc., a much higher and mo 



is seen^aboutJ^lower end of the lake. Saguaros are not numerous, 

 b"ut some of them are very large. One in particular, not far from the 

 base of the mountains, looms up as a veritable landmark, a giant, 

 even among its kind, of prodigious girth, and extraordinary in -the 

 number of its branching arms. 



All the way from the lake the road ascends steadily, but once the 

 foothills are reached it begins to climb at a much steeper pitch. This 

 continues until over the " rim ", a long exposure of cliff such as is 

 encountered to a greater or less extent in many Arizona mountains, 

 above which gentler slopes prevail. Here we begin to leave the 

 desert brush uehind, finding instead extensive grassy 

 with yuccas:-., The last saguaro is seen at about 3,000 feet, the ocotilla 

 persisting some distance higher. ___ 



Scrubby oak brush begins to appear, getting thicker as we ascend, 

 until the slopes are well covered. Now, too, as the road dips down 

 into sheltered canyons, crossing to the hillsides beyond, it is momen- 

 tarily shaded by sycamores and larger oaks^ arched over cool moun- 

 tain streams. 



