344 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE WEST. 
mountains are still less heavily wooded, with here and there wide 
grassy openings; the flowers are less numerous, the animal life 
less varied, the birds especially being notably scarcer, whilst 
everywhere there are evidences of a rather arid climate. South 
Park itself is almost as arid as the Plains, with much the same 
vegetation and general aspects, representing, in fact, the Plains 
in miniature. 
Following along the northern edge of the Park we pass Fair- 
play and follow up the valley of the South Platte to its source at 
the northern base of Mount Lincoln. The Platte valley above 
Fairplay is again a moister region, with a richer flora and fauna 
and with the declivities of the hills heavily wooded. The abun- 
dance of large bright flowers is again a conspicuous feature, 
even to considerably above timber line, the grassy ‘slopes far 
above the limit of the coniferous vegetation being thickly set 
with flowers of richest tints, even at altitudes exceeding thirteen 
thousand feet. Camping a week near the eastern base of Mount 
Lincoln, at the old mining town of Montgomery, and making 
excursions to the tops of the neighboring peaks, we then retraced 
~ our steps to Fairplay, and continued thence eastward across South 
Park to the eastern spurs of the mountains. These spurs we find 
are irregularly wooded, with frequent grassy intervals of consider- 
able extent, forming a series of little Parks. There is not much 
‘that is attractive in the scanty vegetation, and birds and animals 
of all kinds are scarce, the country being again comparatively 
arid. In the valley of the North Fork oats and potatoes of the 
finest quality are raised, though liable to injury from frosts, 
the dryness of the climate in and about South Park, though & 
milder region, renders irrigation necessary for the production of 
grains and vegetables. It is nevertheless an excellent ganas 
country, stock wintering well here, as in fact in all the principal 
mountain valleys, gathering their own subsistence in — 
well as in summer. From Colorado City to Denver our road 
quite near to the foothills. The streams were well ai 
with willows and cottonwoods, with here and there detached a 
rather open patches of coniferous forest on the ridges, 3S ee 
occasionally adjacent to the streams; hence we have here, as pre 
viously remarked, a commingling of the birds of the mou! 
with those of the Plains. 
With this meagre sketch of the country traversed We am 
