120 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



feet high, before the snow-line was reached, at an 

 altitude of perhaps twelve thousand feet, the stalk 

 had dwindled to a sturdy stem, often not more 

 than four or five inches tall, which bore a sun- 

 flower in size and color quite equal to that seen 

 on the tallest and sturdiest stalks below. The 

 very short summer here did not admit of time to 

 grow a longer stalk. The flower must be pro- 

 duced as soon as possible to allow the seed that 

 would insure the perpetuation of the species to 

 develop and ripen. 



I cannot dwell on the many kinds of flowers, 

 but to indicate their abundance as a whole seems 

 essential. The ground was fairly carpeted, and 

 up to within a few feet of the banks of snow at 

 high altitudes their numbers did not diminish. 



In the vicinity of Denver my attention was par- 

 ticularly attracted by a colony of burrowing owls. 

 These creatures frequented, not only the deserted 

 burrows of prairie-dogs, but also the abandoned 

 domiciles of other animals, such as the badger and 

 the red fox. Just to the east of the city, some four 

 miles, was a very considerable prairie-dog town 

 which probably covered a hundred acres, and there 

 may have been one or more pair of the little 

 rodents to each acre of ground. There were also 

 many seemingly abandoned burrows. The whole 

 colony of owls in this town did not exceed twenty 

 pairs, scattered over the area. 



