The Season 



253 



rather dry, but our vegetation, depending 

 largely on irrigation, has developed about 

 as usual, and the dry conditions do not 

 seem to have affected the bird-migration. 

 This may not be wholly true, since 

 Gambel's Sparrow lingered about Denver 

 no later than May 11, while the Plumb- 

 eous Vireo, which is not at all uncommon 

 here each spring, was seen in the neighbor- 

 hood of Denver but twice, on May 22 and 

 24. On the other hand, the Chipping Spar- 

 row reached this region on April 20, 

 which is a fair average between the earli- 

 est and latest arrival dates in my notes for 

 this species. 



There have been many Lazuli Buntings 

 about the nursery ground of U. S. A. 

 General Hospital No. 21 this spring, and 

 their sprightly song and beautiful plumage 

 have lent unusual charm to the bird-life 

 about this institution. The writer has but 

 one record of Richardson's Merlin occur- 

 ring about Denver during the spring, and 

 this spring adds another, a single bird 



having been detected in the outskirts on 

 May I, a date not very close to the first 

 record (April 19). 



The writer found a Mourning Dove's 

 nest on May 30, with newly hatched 

 young, in the 'foot-hills' near Denver, at an 

 altitude of 6,800 feet, which is very early 

 for that date and altitude; this observa- 

 tion may refute the writer's general idea 

 that this season's unusual warmth and 

 dryness had not affected migration. On 

 the same day that this Dove's nest was 

 found, our party had the happy experience 

 of watching, with naked eye and with 

 glass, an enormous Golden Eagle, soaring 

 overhead for several minutes. The bird 

 was once not more than 500 feet above us, 

 and as it sailed about in the varying 

 circles, without a wing quiver, it was the 

 picture of a huge airplane, banking, and 

 rising, and falling. Even our matter-of- 

 fact company were enthusiastic over this 

 rare and yet remarkable sight. — W. H. 

 Bergtold, Denver, Colo. 



