The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-14
Special Article.
Birds of the Mountains.
BY OLIVE THORNE MILLER.
Author of Nesting Time" etc.

The new conner to the Rockies, if
he be a bird lover, finds himself al
most in an unknown world, all his
old fayorites missing, or changed
Unto something new and strange
Indeed, the great chain of mountains
that forms the backbone of our con-
tinent seems to have peculiar, not
to say mysterious, influence upon the
life about it. Not only upon the
people who habitually breathe the
air of that region, but upon the birds
who are curiously differentiated from
their brethren of the East, some of
them in habits, but most of them in
looks.
Our blessed little chickadee, and
that droll fellow, the chat, when they
appear in the Rockies, content them
selves with adding an extra inch or
so to the tail. The common flicker,
or yellow hammer, while retaining
the habits of his Eastern namesake,
wears red instead of gold on his
wing Innings, and red moustache
instead of the modest black one of
our species. The Western bluebird
brightens and exaggerates the tender
hue of our spring beauty into coat
of greatly increased loneliness; our
bluejay is replaced by one of the
same saucy manners, but of deeper
and richer color; even the robin "suf-
fers change" and instead of finding
his delight in earthworms, turns his
attention to beetles and grubs and
various winged insects.
The Western wood pewee, like our
bird in an inconspicuous, dark slate
colored suit, changes the plaintive but
sweet notes we are familiar with, into
a loud, dismal wall, almost too plain
tive to be borne. Lacking the love
of solitude that distinguishes our
bird he comes about the houses, and
in place of the exquisite lichen COW
cred saucer we are accustomed to
see, builds a deep, substantial nest,
decorated with fluffy cotton from the
cottonwood tree.
Our joyous goldfnch, in yellow,
with black cap and trimmings, is rep
resented in the Rockies by a smaller,
livelier, and, if possible, more
bewitching species,-the Arkansas
goldfnch. He is one of the daintiest
of feathered atoms, clad in olive
green, with bright yellow below,
black cap, and black and white wings.
His common call is an indescribably
sweet and plaintive copy of the can
ary's "s-w-e-e-t," and he is raptu-
rous singer. A favorite haunt of this
bird is the tree-fringed banks of
Cheyenne Canon brook, in Colorado,
where he spends most of his time in
the tops of the tallest trees, tantali
zing the bird lover by fitting glimps
es of his dainty form, and by scraps
of song, sometimes mere single
note, shaken out, as it were in most
enchanting tremolo. The of this
elusive midget is so carefully hidden
that | never found one, though the
birds were plentiful about me all
through nesting time.
Greater variation than any other,
perhaps, is found between our mead
ow lark and his Western congener.
Similarly dressed in notified gray,
with yellow breast and black neck
lace, he wonderfully surpasses our
shy singer in musical performances,
his tones being loud and ringing
though OF a sweet and rich quality
that compels the world to listen. His
manner of uttering his charming
message, too, differs from that of our
bird, who perches on fence, or a
clod of earth, to pour out his delight
full minor strain. The Western song
ster seeks telegraph pole, the peak
of a roof, or tall tree, to electrify the
world with his wonderful voice. Our
bird, again, keeps away from houses,
preferring more retired places to live
and nest, while the Rocky Mountain