314 CALIFORNIA DESERT TRAILS 



Other features of the landscape gave the same 

 effect of abnormality. The bare red plain was broken 

 by distant hills of livid color and curious outline. To 

 north and east, eccentric shapes gave the horizon a 

 fantastic appearance. Of these Castle Dome was 

 chief, the perpendicular mass of its central column 

 looking as if the mountain were spouting up into the 

 sky. Nearer at hand were these vegetable monstrosi- 

 ties, some straight and stark, others running to all 

 sorts of bulbous curiosities. In color and shape every 

 object was unexpected and unaccountable. 



Almost all the saguaros I saw were bored with one 

 or more round holes about four inches in diameter. 

 My totem-pole saguaro must have had twenty of 

 them. These are made originally by woodpeckers, 

 but are mostly annexed by the little elf-owl {Micro- 

 pallas whitneyi), who turns out the unlucky carpin- 

 tero (as the Spaniards call the bird of chips), en- 

 larges the hole, or perhaps bullies the other bird into 

 doing it for him, and moves in, sometimes, no doubt, 

 finding a young carpenter or two all ready for the 

 house-warming. I searched a few of the holes in hope 

 of getting a sight of this midget of his tribe, but if 

 any were at home they had taken to the cellar. 



