8 
THE CONDOR 
1 Vol. IV 
About the middle of September I was joined by Mr. Luther J. Goldman with an 
outfit of horses and we determined to make a trip around to the east side of the 
lake. Most of our road lay in heavy sand close to the lake shore through a coun- 
try bright with yellow chrysothamnus blossoms. We passed the end of the 
Mono Crater range and travelled in a broad uneven sage-brush plain — a plain 
which rises gradually toward some low nut-pine mountains on the rim of the 
Mono basin. The lake is evidently rising gradually for in a number of places 
dead brush extends out into the water some distance. Two islands occcupy the 
center of the lake, one being very light and the other dark. On cool mornings 
steam is easily seen rising from the hot springs which are on the islands — or at 
least on the light one. There are also hot springs along the shore and old spring 
formations are of very common occurrence. The turreted and often deeply fene- 
strated lime rock gives a somewhat peculiar and weird aspect to parts of the water 
edge. That morning the lake was smooth as gla.ss and of light clear blue. Thou- 
sands of ducks, grebes, and gulls dotted the surface as far as the eye could reach, 
and close in to shore little squadrons of northern phalaropes swam in circles after 
MONO LAKE FROM WEST 
PHOTO BY DR. C. HART MERRIAM 
flies, reminding one strongly of rudderless boats in an eddying current. The 
ducks, most of them probably shovellers, mallards and green-winged teal, proved 
very wild, and flew at five hundred yards. When north winds drive them 
in large numbers near shore, Indians and some few whites hide behind blinds 
made of sage brush and mow down the unsuspecting birds in great numbers. 
The phalaropes come in in countless hundreds and likewise fall easy prey to pot- 
hunters. The species is locally called ‘Mono Lake pigeon’ and as a rule they are 
fairly tame. When Dr. C. Hart Mer- 
visited the ’ lake in August he 
m o re abu n d a n t 
to be when Gold- 
our trip about the 
her. Cali f o r n i a 
shining lines on 
and were also very 
riam 
found them much 
than they proved 
man and I made 
middle of Septem- 
gulls stood in long, 
the sunlit beach 
INDIAN BLIND 
