THE SEA AND THE DESERT 195 



group of bushy cactus on the way over the desert 

 had one or more pairs of cactus-wrens ; generally 

 some Palmer's thrashers were also to be seen in 

 these localities, and Bendire's thrasher was not 

 infrequent. Occasionally meadow-larks of the 

 western type were noticed ; but the quail of 

 two kinds, the scaled and Gambel's, were the pre- 

 eminent bird inhabitants. They were everywhere ; 

 in the road, and scrambling away through the 

 dried grass, sometimes when approached and sur- 

 prised flying to a bush, but generally running in 

 small troops on the ground. 



Wherever the giant cactus reared its columns, 

 several kinds of woodpeckers abounded ; the red- 

 shafted flicker, the Texan and Gila woodpeckers 

 were most conspicuous. In many places these 

 plants bore evidence of being the nesting sites of 

 the birds. The circular borings which shone out 

 as round, black spots on their outstretched arms, 

 marked the entrance to many homes. Again, the 

 nest of some large hawk rested in the protecting 

 arms of these giants. Swainson's hawk and the 

 western form of the red-tailed, we^e the pro- 

 prietors. The adaptability to environment, ex- 

 emplified by the nesting habits of birds, is here 

 well shown. As every one knows, in the eastern 

 part of America the red-tailed hawks generally 

 build their nest in the loftiest trees of dense 

 forests; they are always situated at very consider- 



