XIII. 



IN THE SHADE OF THE OAKS. 



THERE "were half a dozen places in the valley, 

 irrigated by the spring rains, where I was always 

 sure of finding birds. Among them, on the west 

 side, was the big sycamore, standing at the lower 

 end of the valley ; while above, in the north- 

 west corner, was the mouth of Twin Oaks can- 

 yon where the migrants flocked in the brush 

 around the large twin oak that overlooked the 

 little old schoolhouse. On the east side was the 

 Ughland canyon, at the mouth of which the little 

 lover and his neighbors nested ; while below it 

 straggled the line of sycamores that followed 

 the Ughland stream down through my ranch. 

 But up at the head of the valley beyond the 

 ranch-house was the most delightful place of all. 

 There I was always sure of finding interesting 

 nests to study. 



Surrounded by a waste of chaparral, it was a 

 little oasis of great blooming live-oaks, and iii 

 their shade I used often to spend the hot after- 

 noon hours. In the spring the water that flowed 

 down the hills at the head of the valley formed 

 a fresh mountain stream that ran down the Oden 



