"SOLO SINGING IN THE THRUSH REALM" 218 GRAY'S AND TORREY'S PEAKS 245 PANORAMA FROM GRAY'S PEAK--NORTHWEST 249 THISTLE BUTTERFLY 252 WESTERN WHITE 252 JUNCO ("Under a roof of green grass") 255 SOUTH PARK FROM KENOSHA HILL 265 MAGPIE AND WESTERN ROBINS ("They were hot on his trail") 271 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW ("Squatted on the dusty road and took a sun-bath") 279 "'What bird is that? Its song is good,' And eager eyes Go peering through the dusky wood In glad surprise; Then late at night when by his fire The traveller sits, Watching the flame grow brighter, higher, The sweet song flits By snatches through his weary brain To help him rest." HELEN HUNT JACKSON: _The Way to Sing_. BRIEF FOREWORD With sincere pleasure the author would acknowledge the uniform courtesy of editors and publishers in permitting him to reprint many of the articles comprised in this volume, from the various periodicals in which they first appeared. He also desires to express his special indebtedness to Mr. Charles E. Aiken, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, whose contributions to the ornithology of the West have been of great scientific value, and to whose large and varied collection of bird-skins the author had frequent access for the purpose of settling difficult points in bird identification. This obliging gentleman also spent many hours in conversation with the writer, answering his numerous questions with the intelligence of the scientifically trained observer. Lastly, he kindly corrected some errors into which the author had inadvertently fallen. While the area covered by the writer's personal observations may be somewhat restricted, yet the scientific bird-list at the close of the volume widens the field so as to include the entire avi-fauna of Colorado so far as known to systematic students. Besides, constant comparison has been made between the birds of the West and the allied species and genera of our Central and Eastern States. For this reason the range of the volume really extends from the Atlantic seaboard to the parks, valleys, and plateaus beyond the Continental Divide. L. S. K. All are needed by each one; Nothing is fair or good alone. I thought the sparrow's note from heaven, Singing at dawn on the alder bough; I brought him home, in his nest, at even; He sings the song, but it cheers not now, For I did not bring home the river and sky;-- He sang to my ear,--they sang to my eye. RALPH WALDO EMERSON: _Each and All_.