I24 Life in the Open 



range, and even as this is written the daily papers 

 picture a renegade with his game, shot in this range 

 near the sea, a splendid vulture, one of the last of the 

 tribe, doubtless, in Southern California. In these caflons 

 we see great flocks of mourning doves that flutter along 

 the sands with musical flight, while at intervals bands of 

 splendid band-tailed pigeons come down to breathe the 

 soft air of the sea as it flows up the caftons. 



If the sportsman wishes this game he should watch 

 the mountains, and after a heavy snow-storm, when they 

 are well covered down to the three-thousand-foot level, 

 go to the great open ranches and fields at the base of 

 the range, where he will see this fine pigeon, evidently 

 driven out of the range by the snow. I have seen hun- 

 dreds on the Hastings ranch, in the San Gabriel Valley, 

 at such a time, and doubtless many such flocks could 

 have been found far down the range. 



Camping in the mouth of some big canon, as the 

 one at Santa Monica, Laguna, or San Juan, affords the 

 lover of nature varied opportunities. A few steps up 

 the carton you find sycamores, cottonwoods, and live 

 oaks in sight of the sea. In the chaparral are hum- 

 ming-birds ; bright-eyed lizards glance at you from 

 every stone pile, and the sly gopher pushes up his 

 mounds as you look and ventures out of his hole per- 

 haps to show you how he can run back and hit it, tail 

 first. The fields are filled with ground squirrels that 

 only take to trees in dire necessity ; and at night a little 

 leaping jerboa-like creature comes prowling about, while 



