Page:Bird-lore Vol 01.djvu/402

174 Bird- Lore wlicii I inif^ht have (■,a])liii(<l llif wlioli' family by putting my li^t over lliciii. lint llit-y were iiKjsl iiKlfpciidciii little fellows and, chirping, w(jiil(l rim al)()iit vvliercver they pleasetl. It was woiKlerful to see them run ovir the roiij^li, rocky ^^round where I found them. This was at an elevation ol about 12,000 feet imd on a ridj^e the n(jrth side of which breaks off very abruptly, in many j)la(:es in |)erpendic,ular dills. Once I saw a youii}^ one fall fully seven feet d(jwn amon^ the rocks, rolling over and over. It di<l not seim to be at all hurt or frightened. When it SLO])|)(,-d falling it ;it once started back up the hill and in a minute or two was with its mother; she had seen the fall, but had manifested no alarm. The birds were feeding on the seeds of such grass and ])lants as grow at that altitude, a si)ecies of moss being, seemingly, an especial favorite with them. Finally, placing the camera where I had to lie down at full length to focus, and where, if i had rolled t(j the lelt ;i little w;iys, 1 would have fallen a hundred feet (jr more; down the mountain, 1 put in the plate- holder, drew the slide, then, by threatening the bird, lujlding my hand over her h<ad, I induced her to rise; the youngsters came out from under, and, watching the right lime, T caught two of them in a picture. Copyri,:ht, hy li. K. II IKMALE 1'TARMI(;aN AND CHICKS