Animal Life In The Colorado Desert

The desert is not a solitude ; life abounds in it ; beasts, birds, reptiles and iuseets oocur in quantity surpriaing to one who kiiows the scareity of suri'ace water. Eabbits, bares and coyotes seem to be the largest animáis, but chipmunks, gophers and moles appear to be inost abundaut ; the ground is honeyconabed witli theit homos. All of them are found as far as twenty or more milco from any known water. In ether parts of California, the presenco of quails indicates proximity to water ; this ia not so on the desert, where lurge flocks are fonnd very far i'rom water. The buzzing oi' heney-gathering nies or bees lulls to sleep him who reposes nnder the palo-verd, or iron-wood. Mockiug birds and other songsters enliven the vioinity of water and ruby-thronted hummiug birds suck its flowers. Most of these desert denizens are of nocturnal habita ; the hot sun drives thein to shade by day. Ravens aud crows secm to live on lizard"s, which in turn live on flies and ants that are abroad oaly by daylight. But on moonligbt nights the others turn out in vast nuinbers. Eeptiles are numerous, but we have never heard of anyoae being hurt by them. A. tortoise is common here, whieh grow among rocks and sand to a weight of twenty-iive pouuds, and iseaten bysome Indians. Ben Hunt, of Jaokson county, Indiana, reoently ate eleven boiled eggs ajui died.