270 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE WEST. 
When we arrived here the plains were everywhere covered with — 
a carpet of short fine grass, varied with large patches of 
brightly-colored flowers,— yellow, orange and various shades of 
red and purple,—forming a landscape beautiful beyond descrip- 
tion. Gradually the earlier plants passed out of bloom, the hot — 
dry winds of June parched and withered the grass, and when we 
left, the first week in July, only the belts of deep green formed by _ 
the foliage of the trees along the streams, presented anything — 
agreeable to the eye, these being doubly refreshing from their con — 
trast with the almost desert-like aridity surrounding them. The 
daily maximum temperature ranging during our stay from about — 
90° to 108° F. in the shade, the reader may readily perceive the : 
semi-tropical character of the summer climate of the Plains. 
The total number of species observed here was sixty-one, about : 
ten per cent of which were by no means common. Among Hè 
species inhabiting the timber, the kingbird, the Arkansas fiy- , 
catcher (Tyrannus verticalis), the purple grackle, red-headed x 
woodpecker and the Baltimore and orchard orioles were by far the = 
most common, all of which in fact were numerously represented. a 
The brown thrush, the mockingbird, the black-headed grosbesk: 
(Guiraca melanocephala), the chickadee (Parus atricapillus), ris 
golden-shafted flicker, the warbling and Bell’s vireos, ane © 
common wren (Troglodytes aédon) were all more or less 
The kingfisher was occasional, and the Carolina dove every whee 
abundant, far out on the Plains as well as in the vicinity of the 
timber. The rongh-winged swallow was also common, an 5, 
nies of the cliff swallow were met with breeding on the pene 
the vicinity of the streams. A few purple martins were id 
near the Post; night-hawks were abundant, resting ON u 
uring portions of each day, and breeding out on the er 
They were mostly of the pale variety commonly know? so 
deiles Henryi, but different specimens varied greatly in ©” 
being nearly as dark as eastern ones. The cowbird was 
out on the Plains as well as in the timber, but WaS 
numerous. 
everywhere abundant, representing typically th were 9 
Plains known as S. neglecta. Its notes, howev bes ies li 
different from those of the representatives of this se 
