(goc% (mountain Tt^onbetfanb 



The mountain lion may prowl here during 

 any month. Deer frequent the region in sum- 

 mer. Mountain sheep often take refuge be- 

 neath the clustered growths during the autumn 

 storms. Of course the audacious pine squirrel 

 comes to claim the very forest-edge and from 

 a point of safety to scold all trespassers; and 

 here, too, lives the cheery chipmunk. 



This is the nursery, or summer residence, of 

 many kinds of birds. The "camp-bird," the 

 Rocky Mountain jay, is a resident. Here in 

 spring the white-crowned sparrow sings and 

 sings. During early summer the solitaire, the 

 most eloquent songster I have ever heard, 

 comes up from his nest just down the slope to 

 pay a tribute of divine melody to the listening, 

 time-worn trees. In autumn the Clarke crow 

 appears and, with wild and half -weird calls of 

 merriment, devours the fat nuts in the cones of 

 the limber pine. During this nutting, magpies 

 are present with less business than at any other 

 time and apparently without a plan for devil- 

 try. Possibly they are attracted and enter- 

 tained by the boisterousness of the crows. 



64 



