222 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 90 



began and up on the crest, at Sherman, at the height of 2700 

 metres, I saw on a mountain meadow, through which a httle 

 brook .gushed down the valley, the first Brewer's Blackbirds 

 preening their glossy blue-black plumage in the sun. Close 

 to the track were many gophers, p-rairie dogs and, as luck- 

 favored me, not more than 10 metres away sat a Burrowing 

 Owl and looked undisturbed at the long overland train. And 

 then we swung around a sharp curve to begin the descent in- 

 to the Laramie Plains, 190 kilometres long, an almost perfect 

 oval of dusty, dark green, -rolling prairie, with a broad silvery 

 baud, the Laramie River meandering through its center. To 

 the east rose the long sloping barren Laramie ■Mountains at 

 the end of which in the hazy distance 96 kilometres away 

 there stood the Laramie Peak 3650 metres high, while to the 

 West a gloomy and dark wall of mountains, overtopped by 

 a number of shining white orags and shimmering icv peaks, 

 gilded by the sun's fiery rays seemed in their sublime and co- 

 lossal majesty to forbid all attempts of frail man to conc[uer 

 them. 



And the train sped on. Back of us, to the South, Colo- 

 rado's icekings formed a perfect barrier. Distance immense 

 and endless before us to the North as the boundless prairie 

 met OUT eyes. Down shot the train at terrific speed, then a 

 squeaking of wheels, a hissing of airbrakes and slowly we 

 rolled into the typical western town of Laramie. There my 

 friend, Rev. O. Wichmann, who with his two sons Arthur 

 and Gerhold helped me in many ways during my stay, met 

 me and conducted me to my headquarters. On the way 

 through town I was everywhere greeted by the mercy twitter- 

 ing of the House Finches in their beautiful rose-colored 

 garb, reminding me of the European Chaffinch, but alas ! in 

 the dusty street fighting and chirping, that miserable ruffian, 

 the English Sparrow, who had come to stay. 



In spite of the long- and tiresome trip the cool mountain 

 air and the glorious sun chased me out of bed rather 'early on 

 the next morning and after the unpacking of my outfit T 

 sauntered along some of the streets with their cotton-wood 



