36 THE CONDOR Vol. X 



are also met in these places. Picard is about two miles from our camp, and from 

 Picard to Brownell on the shore of lyower Klamath Lake is about the same distance. 

 We jogged along at an easy pace which gave us every opportunity to study the 

 country. At this time the sage brush was alive with Ivincoln Finches (possibly 

 Melospiza I. striata) and every little while small, light-colored chipmunks would 

 scurry away to a safe retreat. 



A few miles from Picard a ridge of considerable size extends into Butte Val- 

 ley and north of it begins the low, flat plain which contains Klamath lyake. Here 

 a new character of country prevails. The sage brush diminishes in area and gives 

 place to fertile grass-covered prairies, which are dotted by innumerable cattle. It 

 is a scene of tranquil pastoral beauty and of a kind very unlike what one expects to 

 see in California. It was no uncommon sight to see coyotes trotting leisurely 

 about the outskirts of the grazing cattle, or stealthily following a miniature water- 

 course in quest of meadow-mice. We captured one of these wary prowlers in a 

 rather interesting manner. Some distance ahead on the left-hand side of the road, 

 which at this place follows close by a ridge, we saw a coyote quietly nosing in the 

 long grass. Gaut immediately, and without slacking the team, planned a means of 

 capture. He handed the reins to me and slipping two buck-shot cartridges into a 

 twenty gauge gun, quickly jumped out of the wagon while it was moving and then 

 lay flat by the roadside. The coyote, on seeing the team so near was totally taken 

 by surprise, and fearing to cross the road in front of the team, sought to gain the 

 ridge by circling around back of the wagon. Not yet greatly alarmed, it started 

 on an easy trot in the very direction where Gaut lay quietly concealed in the grass. 

 Seeing our plan was working so successfully, I looked backward with bated breath, 

 as the unsuspecting animal neared its doom. Suddenly there was a bang and the 

 coyote doubled up in a heap: a buckshot had severed its spinal column and it lay 

 stone dead. It was a female and had recently eaten the paunch of a sheep. 



Shortly beyond the scene of this event we encountered a succession of ponds 

 and small water-courses nearly each one of which contained its flock of ducks — 

 mostly teal and mallards, tho approaching dusk made positive identification impos- 

 sible. We paid rather dearly for our loitering by the way, for nightfall was upon 

 us before we reached Brownell, and we spent two anxious hours wandering over 

 the sage-brush plains in the chilly autumn wind before the twinkling light of the 

 lone ranch kept by Mrs. Brownell came in sight. 



Next morning a beautiful sight greeted us. To the south of us Mt. Shasta 

 rose sublimely in a freshly fallen coat of snow; and far to the north in Oregon, 

 Mt. Pitt could be seen, scarcely less beautiful. In the clear, frosty air we could 

 see ourselves compassed about by rugged ridges and volcanic hills, while to the 

 northeast lay Klamath Lake shining like a mirror and closed in by a wilderness of 

 green rushes. Here we found trapping excellent, but a small variety of bird-life 

 as the country was almost absolutely treeless. The occurrence of surpassing in- 

 terest, however, was the countless numbers of wild geese present. Their hosts 

 passing from and to the lake at night and morning positively produced a din. 



The region from Picard to Klamath Lake is Upper Sonoran indicated by the 

 large areas of sage brush and junipers. Much of it is desert-like, but about 

 Klamath Lake the meadows are very wet. We left Brownell on October 2, and re- 

 turned to Beswick that night. On the evening of the 4th we took the train at 

 Ager for Grants Pass, Oregon, which we reached about 7:30 that night. The 

 journey was exceedingly interesting. The railroad winds its way thru the pic- 

 turesque Siskiyou Mountains in a most astonishing manner, some marvelous ex- 

 amples of engineering being revealed. Next morning (Oct. 5) we left Grants Pass 



