THE AUK

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF

ORNITHOLOGY

VOL. 59 JANUARY,1942 NO. 1

BIRDS OF THE GOMEZ FARIAS REGION, SOUTHWESTERN TAMAULIPAS

BY GEORGEMIKSGH SUTTON AND OLIN SEWALLPETTINGILL, JR. Plates •-6 THE senior author first visited southwesternTamaulipas in the springof 1938when, as a memberof that year'sJohn B. Semple Expedition,he participatedin a cursorysurvey of the bird life of the Rancho Rinconada,a partly cultivatedstretch of flood-plain on the east bank of the Rio Sabinas,not far from the hill village of GomezFarias (seeSutton and Burleigh, 1959). So impressedwas he with the tropical aspectof the region, so puzzledby the dis- similaritiesbetween it and that of Victoria, only fifty miles to the north, and so convinced that what he had seen was but a faint indi- cation of what might be discovered,that he resolvedto return, as soonas possible,to undertakea thoroughgoingstudy of the breed- ing birds. Opportunitycame in the springof 1941. He and the junior author, co-leadersof the Cornell University-CarletonCollege Ornithological Expedition, wishing to establishheadquarters at a place where original work could be done, decidedupon the RanchoRinconada. Here, at an elevation of about 500 feet, they and their assistants, Dwain W. Warner and Robert B. Lea, resided from March 12 to May 4. Their abodewas only a hundred yardsor so from the Rio Sabinas. West of them rose a steep,well-forested foothill, which they called 'the mountain.' Beyond this towered the lofty Sierra Madre Oriental. The four-manparty worked the nearer slopeof their mountain thoroughly,thrashing about a good deal in the tangledvegetation half to three-quartersof theway to the top. Weekly trips for mail and provisionswere made to Mante, about twenty 1 THE _X_UK,'•OL. S1) PL.',','EI

MEXICXN M XSKEi; TITYItA. MALE From a iminting in water-color m•de in the field by George Miksch Stttton. The tree is Tabebuia pentaphyllain [•tll I'lower. ( one-)CottrthliIe size) 2 SUTTONANDPETTINGILL, Birdsof Gomez Farias Region [.Auk miles to the south. Warner made one trip to a mesasix or seven milesnorth of the Ranchoand, on one occasion,attempted to reach the headwaters of the Rio Frio. Lea visited Gomez Farias once. The area most frequentlytraversed was, however,that extending threeor four milesupstream and downstreamfrom the Ranchoitself. All this was,of course,low country. The vegetationand the animal life they found to be distinctly tropical;many of the identifiedforms were characteristicof, though not necessarilyrestricted to, the VeracruzJanBiotic Provinceas de- finedby Smith (1940: 101). Amongthe commontrees were the bald cypress(Taxodium mucronatum),higuerdn or stranglingfig (Ficus cotinifolia),ear-tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), palo de rosa(Tabe- buiapentaphylla), false ebony (Pithecolobium dulce), and suchthorny or scrubbytrees as the mesquite (Prosopis),and various Cassias, Leucaenas,and Acacias. The pata de vaca,or cow-hoofplant (Bau- hinia mexicana)and the shrubbynightshade (Solanum verbasci- folium) werecommon. In the low country,as well ason the mountain- side,grew extensivestands of huipilla or wild pineapple(Bromelia pinguin) and tanglesof Smilax subpubescens.The showyflower- spraysof the verbenaceousclimbing purple-wreath (Petrea arborea) were a familiar sight. Bamboogrew in profusionalong the river. In well-shadedplaces black-spotted orchids (probably Oncidium sp.) flowered. Throughoutthe more open woodlandbrightly colored epiphytes,many of themof the genusTillandsia, flourished. To the branchesof certainwillows, mesquites, and other thinly leavedtrees clung great clumpsof an orange-berriedmistletoe, Phoradendron tamaulipense. Heliconiid butterflieswere abundant. At leastone speciesof the nymphalidgenus Morpho was frequently seen. Scorpionswere some- thing of a pestabout the house. Ticks swarmed,especially where cattle ranged, the adult stagebeing known as the garrapata,the youngas the pinolilla. Tarantulasseen in certain caveswere not especiallylarge. Turtles and garpikewere commonin the river. Snakeswere uncommon-a slender green specieswas seen once or twice and a coral snake (Micrurusfulvius tenere)was captured. Of the lizards collected-Ctenosaura acanthura, Anolis sericeus, Scelo- porusvariabilis variabilis and Cnemidophorusgularis-the first three are consideredby Dr. Hobart M. Smith to be neotropicalin dis- tribution, the last nearctic. At least one member of the tropical genusIguana also was seen. A barkingfrog, probably of the genus Eleutherodactylus,was vociferous during rains, but no specimenwas captured. Vol.•942•9'[ a Su•ro•A• P•xxx•a•, Birdsof GomezFarias Region 3

Among the mammalswere the jaguar (Fells onca)and the ocelot (Felis pardalis), as well as peccaries,white-tailed deer, opossums, armadillos, and various well-known rodents and smaller carnivores whose ranges extend northward into the United States. One ex- clusivelytropical form that was frequently encounteredwas the teI'6nor coatimondi(Nasua narica). Closestudy of the mammalian fauna would doubtlessdisclose the presenceof severalother com- parably Central Americangenera and species. Amongthe birdsfour distinctlytropical families were represented-- the Boat-billedHerons, or Cochleariidae;Potoos, or Nyctibiidae;Ant- birds, or Formicariidae;and Pepper-shrikes,or Cyclarhidae;as well as the following distinctly tropical genera: Crypturellus, Cairina, Spiza•tus,Geranospiza, Micrastur, Herpetotheres,Crax, Penelope, Dactylortyx,Ara, Aratinga,Arnazona, Piaya, Anthracothorax, Scapane- us, Veniliornis, Tityra, Megarynchus,Myiozetetes, Arnblycercus, Saltator, and Volatinia. It is the authors' belief that most of the above-namedgroups reach about their northern limit of range in the GomezFarias region, for only about half of them are found in the vicinityof Victoria,fifty milesto the north, just abovethe Tropic of Cancer; three or four--such as Ara, Aratinga, and Arnazona--are seen occasionallyas far north as Linares, Nuevo Leon, at about latitude 25ø N.; a few (Ara, Arnazona,Piaya, etc.) are found in Sonora,considerably to the northwestward(see van Rossem,1931); and none is found (saveperhaps as a straggler)as far north as Matamoros, at the mouth of the Rio Grande. On and about the Rancho there were five principal plant associa- tionsor, to usea vernacularphrase, five 'sortsof country': (1) scrubby, somewhatxerophytic thicket, looselytermed huisache,back from the river a way, occupyingflat, unclearedareas such as that between the Rancho and the highway. Characteristicof this thick growth were various sennas (Cassia),crotons (Croton), a yellow-flowered vine of the Apocynaceae,Traechelospermurn sp., thorn-bearing shrubs of the genera Acacia and Leucaena,such vines as the cat's claw and a yellow-floweredBignonia, or trumpet-vine,and the savagely barbedhuipilla, or wild pineapple,Bromelia. (2) Cypresstimber, invariablynear the river, but sometimesextending back from the water a hundred yards or more. Here grew other large trees,some of them so umbrageousthat little in the way of plant life lived under them,and toughnative bamboo. One characteristicplant was the scandentshrub Pettea. (3) Heavy woodlandnot near the river; this sortof forest (withoutany cypress)was to be found principally on the mountainsidesouthwest of the Rancho. Several speciesof SUTTONANDPETTINGILL, Birdsof Gomez lrarias Region [Auk drupe-bearingtrees throve where the soil was good. Beneath these grewshrubbery of an opensort. Where therewas little soil, huipilla thickets and vine-tanglesflourished. (4) Palmetto forest. There were scatteredpalmettos (Sabal sp.) on the Rancho, but no area where that type of vegetationdominated, as it did in certain exten- sive stretchesalong the highway farther south. (5) Farmlands. Clearedareas were responsiblefor the presenceof many speciesof birds. About the Rancho the tilled sectionswere given over to corn, oranges,sugar cane, Napier grass,and variousvegetables. Grazing areas were only partly cleared. The cultivated acreageabout E1 Limon and Mante was extensive. The authors were disappointedin finding no marshesnear the Rancho. The banks of the Sabinaswere clear-cutand drainagewas thorough. Along the highway rainwater pools formed, but these came and went before aquatic plants could establishthemselves. The river roseconsiderably after heavy rains in late April and early May, but no flood-poolsformed. As for the climate--the Rancho will long be rememberedfor its wet, misty, cloud-hungweather. Bright, sunny days were enjoyed March 20 and 25, from March 30 to April 10, and April 21, April 29, and May 2. The rest of the period was described(in variousnote- books)as 'gray,' 'dirty,' 'drizzly,' 'mean,' 'ugly,' and so forth. The seasonwas not supposedto be rainy, but rain fell. Most of this was light, at any rate not heavy enough to cause the river to rise and fall; but on April 30 a three-dayrain started which washed the 'bridge'out, dug awaythe road acrossthe arroyobetween the Rancho and the highway,prevented observation of all nestson the opposite side of the river, and threatenedgeneral flood. Not all the Rancho'sgray days furnished a correctindex to general weather conditions. This was proved repeatedly on the authors' weekly trips to Mante. Now, looking 'homeward'from the high- way, they could see a cloud coveringthe very mountainsidewhere they had hunted quail morning after morning. The weather, in other words, was good, but at the Rancho there was no means of knowing this becausethe cloud was so low and dense. That this cloud has influencedthe plant-life and thereforethe birds there can be little doubt. Certain of the more tropical speciesmay exist in the GomezFarias region primarily or only becausethis cloud so retards the rate of evaporationas to make the luxuriant growth of certain food-bearingor shelter-affordingplants possible. The low parts of southwesternTamaulipas lie within what has traditionally been called the tierra caliente,or 'hot land,' of Mexico, ml Vø1'59'1•94a -• SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region throughout which thermal region the averageannual temperature is between70 and 75 degreesF. Along the Sabinasthe mean annual rainfall is said to be 30 to 40 inches;the period from November 1 to April 30 is relatively dry, 70 to 80 per cent of the rain falls from May to October,and the heaviestprecipitation takes place in June, when, accordingto isohyetmaps in Bartholomew's'Physical Atlas' (1899, vol. 3, Meteorology)over 16 inchesof rain falls. Ac- cordingto isonephmaps in the samework, southwesternTamaulipas is more or lessshaded by cloudsmost of the year, Septemberand Octoberbeing the brightestmonths. The GomezFarias cloud above described is, however, more in the nature of a local cloud-banner, causedby the suddencooling to the dewpointof warm air that rises from the Sabinasvalley. It clingsto the foothills especiallyduring hot weather,its positionchanging little from day to day becausethe wind is almostinvariably from the east. The Gomez Farias region lies within what Pope has denominated the 'northern Gulf Coast'temperature province of Mexico, but since statementspertaining to this provinceappear to be basedon records kept at very few points (Montetrey and Tampico, principally), it is feared that they may not very accuratelyapply to southwestern Tamaulipas (seePage, 1929). The authorsnoted that the tempera- ture at the Rancho varied greatly with the coming and going of the sun. On bright days it was very .hot between 10.30 a.m. and 4.30 13.m., when relief came becausethe sierra to the west cut off the fierce rays. The night of March 13 was so cool that all avail- able beddingwas used. On the whole the nightswere warm. Most of the bird speciesencountered were sedentary,some of them (the tinamous,for example)decidedly so. Certain supposedlyper- manent-residentforms were, on the other hand, found to be migratory. That is to say,they were not in evidencewhen the expeditionbegan its work but put in their appearanceas spring advanced. Among these were Saltstot atriceps,Myiodynastes luteiventris, Myiarchus tyrannulusnelsoni, and Vireo olivaceusflavoviridis. Severalspecies werewinter visitants,among them Dumetella carolinensis, Empidonax minirnus,and Sayornisphoebe. Other United Statesspecies, noted principally in late April and May, were transientsen route north- ward from their winter home in Central or South America. All but sevenof the speciesand subspecieslisted below were recorded by the Cornell University-CarletonCollege Expedition in 1941. The sevennot recordedby them--Geranospizanigra, Pionussenills, Enzpidonaxflaviventris, Enzpidonax wrighti, Melanotis caerulescens, Hylocichla ustulata, and Piranga leucoptera--weretaken by the 6 SUTTONANDPETTINGILL, Birdso! Gomez Farias Region [Auk

SempleExpedition three yearspreviously or by Warner during the midsummer of 1941. The taxonomic work on the 1941 collection wasdone by the seniorauthor, who alonemust be held responsible for errors. The order and nomenclatureof the first part of the list (through the swifts)follow thoseof JamesL. Peters's'Check-list of Birds of the World,' vols. 1-4. Virtually all 1941specimens referred to are now at Cornell University. For assistancein the preparationof this paper the authorsare indebted to staff members of the American Museum of Natural History;the Museumof Zoologyat the Universityof Michigan;the U.S. National Museum and Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior; and the Field Museum of Natural History. They are especiallygrateful to Mr. J. L. Peters of the Museum of ComparativeZo61ogy at Harvard, for identifying the swifts,potoos, wood owls,and Yellow Warblers;to Mr. Adriaan J. van Rossem,of Los Angeles,for identifyingthe Bat Falcons;to Dr. Alden H. Miller, of the Museumof VertebrateZoology at the Uni- versityof California,for identifyingthe Lincoln'sSparrows; to Mr. Robert T. Moore, of Pasadena,for his great courtesyin sendingEast the type and his one other specimenof Otus guatemalae[uscus; to Mr. BoardmanH. Conover,of Chicago,for lending certain quail specimens;to Dean Liberty H. Bailey and Dr. Robert T. Clausen, of Cornell University,for identifyingplants; to Dr. Paul C. Standley, of the Field Museum, for editing all paragraphspertaining to botanicalmatters; to Mr. Allan R. Phillips, now majoring with the senior author at Cornell, for his expressionof opinion concerning certain Ammodramus,Empidonax, and Piranga specimens;and to Dr. Hobart Smith, of the University of Rochester,for identifying severalreptiles. They alsowish to thank Mr. John B. Semple,of Sewickley,Penn- sylvania, for ammunition; Dr. Norman G. Moore, of Ithaca, New York, for medicine and counsel;the officialsof the Forestry and Game Branch of Mexico'sDepartment of Agriculture, for issuing scientificcollecting permits; and Miss Marion Patton and Mrs. M. N. Beebefor secretarialhelp.

I_•sr o• SP•mS M•x•cAN TINAMOUor Perdiz, Crypturelluscinnamomeus mexicanus.--Common in wild-pineapple thickets and less dense woodland at river-level as well as on mountain up to possibly1500 feet. Heard almostconstantly, though infrequently seen. Beganwhistling early, 3.45 to 4 a.m., savewhen the wind was high or the rain heavy. Sangthroughout the hottestdays, often until well after dark. Dur- ing early April when the moon was full and the nights were dear its mellow 7 Vol.194• 59] .s SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias tlegion whee-oo-eesounded at all hours. Night-singingbirds did not walk about, and their whistlinglacked ebullience. Whether both malesand femaleswhistle we cannot say. Certainly it is possible to call males up by whistling, for we did so repeatedly. They approachedus stealthily,craning their necks. Their whistlingwas accompaniedby a swellingof the throat and jerking of the head. Frequently,while waiting for such birds to appear, we would hear a muffled beating of wings. It is our belief that this drummingwas a regularpart of the courtship. Severalmale specimens(no females)were taken March 22-April 30. In all thesethe testeswere gTeatlyenlarged (about 20 X 35 mm.), so egg-layingprobably was going on during our entire stay. April 20, we learned that a nest with three eggshad been found "at the foot of a tree on the mountain," but when we asked to be led to the spotwe were told that the younghad alreadyhatched and run away. The birds were exceedinglysedentary. We could count on finding certain indi- viduals resting or feeding in certain placesat any time of day. The sound of our footfallsoften incitedthem to whistling. In everycrop or stomachexamined we found wholeor partly digestedseeds of the huipilla (Bromelia). April 9, Warner whistled a tinamou up to within a few feet. Curious as to what the bewilderedcreature would do, he strucka fencewire sharplywith his gun. The bird crouchedwith wings spread. He struck the wire again and the bird whirred up noisily, making straight off through the forest. Our series of specimensexhibits considerablevariation as to back-color and buffy tipping and barring of the tertials and wing coverts. The more heavily marked individualsmay be youngerbirds. PIED-BILLEDGREBE, Podilymbus podiceps.--Noted at two places:at a roadside pond southof Mante, a singlebird, March 12; and along the Rio Sabinas,not far from the Rancho, a single bird, daily from March 18 to 30. WroTE Pg.LIC,•, Pelecanuserythrorhynchos.--Noted but once: a V-shapedflock of nine birds flying southeastwardabove the Rio Sabinas,April 15 (Lea). OL•V,•CEOUSCORMORANT, Phalacrocorax olivaceus.--Noted daily along the Sabinas March 15-April 30. One or two birds regularly fished or sunned themselvesnot far from our swimminghole near the Rancho. •V,•TER-TURKEY,.4nhinga anhinga.--Notedtwice in 1941--a single bird April 9 and a singlebird April 30, along the Sabinas. Noted by the seniorauthor's party on March 3 in 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh,1939: 24). LITTLEBLUE HERO•, Florida caerulea.--Noteddaily along the SabinasMarch 14- April 19: onein whiteplumage, with two SnowyEgTets, March 14-26;two in white plumage(with no egTet),March 27-April 19. They fed extensivelyon Dobson- fly larvaewhich they caught in the shallows.Single bird in blue plumageseen March 22 (Lea). AMERICANEGRET, Casmerodias albus egretta.--Singlebird noted along the Rio Sabinas,near the Rancho,March 25 and 26. Adult female,with long nuptial plumes,taken one mile southof E1 Limon,April 5 (Lea). S•ow• HERO•,Leucophoyx thula.--Two in nuptialplumage noted daily along the Rio Sabinas, March 14 to 26. CABANIS'STIGER BITTERN, Heterocnus cabanisi.--One or two noted daily along the Sabinas,March 17 to May 1. Fed in shadowyplaces at river'sedge or in fields somedistance back from the water. May 1 a nestwas found on an almosthorizontal branchfifty feetabove the waterin a huge,moss-hung cypress (Lea). Apparently the speciesis not colonial,for no otherpairs were seen in that vicinity. 8 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region L['Auk Jan.

MEXICAN BOAT-BILLEDHERON, Cochlearius cochlearius zeledoni.--Noted but once-- an adult male (testesslightly enlarged) taken along the Sabinasnear the Rancho, April 8 (Lea). Accordingto Peters(1931: 125), C. c. zeledoniranges "from Sinaloa and Veracruz southto northernCosta Rica." We haveknowledge of at leastthree Tamaulipas specimensaside from that mentionedabove--two at the AmericanMuseum (taken May21, 1888,at Tampico,by GeorgeB. Sennett);and one at the U.S. National Museum,taken by Frank B. Armstrongat Alta Mira, in November,1894 (Rich- mond, 1896: 627). The British MuseumCatalogue (1898: 26, 165) also lists a specimenof 'Cancromazeledoni' from Tampico.This is said to be a juvenal male taken by W. B. Richardson. MUSCOVYDUCK, or Pato Real, Cairina moschata.--Noteddaily along the river and in fieldswell back from the water. Seenfrequently in trees. Fair-sizedflocks en- countered as late as April 14, pairs or single birds thereafter. Testes of two malestaken by Warner, March 23, were greatly enlarged,but our Mexican friends assuredus that nestingdid not begin until much later in the season. We did not seea nest or young birds. A courtingmale swam about the female wagginghis tail, thrustinghis head far forward and drawing it back slowly,uttering throaty grunts;or pursuedher in flight, keepingdose behind or to one side,calling amorously. BLACKVULTURE or Zopilote, Coragypsatratus.--Abundant. At Mante, where scoresof thesescavengers fed regularly at the hotel's refusecans, incoming and outgoing birds often flew into wires and clothes lines. So far. as we could see they did not injure themselves. March 19, an incubatingbird wasflushed from its nestin a huipilla thicket. It ran aboutin narrowcircles, grunted once or twice,then flappedoff noisily. While beingwatched from the blind March23, it pokedits two eggsroughly with its bill, turning them over,then abruptlyfell forwardon them. Bits of shell remainedin the nest,March 30 (Lea). TURKEY VULTURE, Cathartes aura.--Less common than the Black Vulture and lessfrequently seenin the towns. At the Rancho the former was so abundant we gaveup countingit. Not so the latter. Rarely were more than three or four seenduring the courseof a day unless,along the highway,several chanced to gatherabout the carcassof a burro,pig or dog. Pettingillsaw one cometo drink at a certainspot along the river each evening, March 19 to 26. WHITE-TAILEDKrrE, Elanus leucurus.--Oneor two birds noted March 31 to April20 alongthe Sabinas. Noted once thereafter, a single bird circling above thevillage of SanteInes, April 20 (Lea).Seen, as a rule,early in themorning or justbefore nightfall. One, watched for fifteenminutes at duskon April7, was hunting.It flewgracefully, treading the air withwings beating high above its backand tail pointed down, plunging swiftly earthward when it sightedprey. PLUMBEOUSKITE, lctinia plumbea.--Femalewith greatlyswollen oviduct and malewith somewhatenlarged testes taken respectively April 18 and19, about half a miledownstream from the Rancho (Lea). These were almost certainly a mated pair. Peters (1931:'201) gives"southern Mexico" as the northernlimit of this species'range. So far as we havebeen able to ascertain,it hasnot beenrecorded heretoforefrom Tamaulipas. COOPER'SHAWK, Accipiter cooperi.--Noted near the Ranchodaily March 31- April$, a singlebird (thought tobe the same highly colored individual) each day. 9 Vol.194• 59] .a SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region

SH•a•V-SHINN•HAWK, Accipiter striatus.--Noted occasionally along the Sabinas,in thickets rather than dense woodland, March 22 to April 8. All that were clearly seenwere in immature plumage. R•D-TAmEDHAWK, Buteo jamaicensis.--Identifiedwith certainty only once in the GomezFarias region--an adult, perchedalong the highwayin open countrya short distance north of E1 Limon, March 12. SW•aNSON'SHAWK, Buteo swainsoni.--Greatflocks seen high in air March 25, 27, and 28 near Rancho; on April 1, near the Rio Frio; and April 3, two miles up- stream from the Rancho. Small flock seen drifting northward, April 15. Loose flock flying just above treetopsand five birds perchedon dead tree near Rancho seenApril 25. Two seensoaring over Rancho,April 30. Two seensoaring over E1 Limon, May 3. Female in 'normal' plumage taken by Lea from a large flock, April 3. Insect remains were found in the stomach. GRA¾-TAI•DHAWK, Buteo magnirostrisgriseocauda.--Noted several times, March 12, along highway from Victoria to Mante. Several mated pairs observeddaily along the Sabinas,March 14 to May 2. Somemated birds (thought to be actually nesting)were brown-eyed, though most were yellow-eyed. Adult femaletaken April 12, 1941 (Warner). The ovary in this specimenwas not paired. MEXICANGOSHAWK, Asturina nitida plagiata.--Noteddaily, March 14 to April 29, along the Sabinas,most birds seenbeing mated adults. Two gray-eyedsub- adult males (with gray feathers in back and gray-barred plumage on chest and belly) taken, respectively,April 15 and 21. Adult female taken March 30. Brown Jays mobbed young Mexican Goshawkson several occasions,but did not disturb the adults. In 1938, a pair were seencourting on March 3 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 26). RIDGWAY'SBLACK HAWK, Hypomorphnus urubitinga ridgwayi.--Clearlymarked adult seenseveral times along the Sabinas,March 18. Identified by white upper tail-coverts,which were distinctly visible when bird flew. Probably seen on other occasionsalso, but not certainly identified. A mottled immature female, taken along the Sabinasby the senior author on March 2, 1938, was misidentified,being listed as Buteogallusa. anthracinus (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 26). MEXICANBLACK HAWK, Buteogallus anthracinus.--Dark-rumped black hawks noted along the SabinasMarch 18 to April 8 were of this species,but no specimenwas actuallycollected south of Giiemes(near Victoria), where Sutton took an adult male, March 10. The 'immature female . . . taken March 2 along the Rio Sabinas'in 1938 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 26) was actually an exampleof Hypomorphnus urubitinga ridgwayi (seeabove). ORNA•gHAWK-gAG•, Spiza•'tus ornatus.--Noted infrequently on mountain above the Rio Sabinas,March 19 to 27. Pair encounteredMarch 19 actedas if they were on their nestingterritory, for they kept up a thin, clear screamingand evinced more than casualinterest in a certain densepart of the forest. The male, which was noticeablythe smaller,was seento carry about and eat somesmall mammal, probablya squirrel. Both birds held their crestserect mostof the time. Sutton collectedthe female that day. Stomachand crop were found to be empty; the ovary was paired but unenlarged. To a claw hung a green feather, probably that of a Red-crownedParrot. March 21, one was seen to strike at, but miss,a quail (Dactylortyx)that wascrouching at the edgeof a rockside. MAgS• HAWK, Circus cyaneus.--NotedMarch 12 to April 24. On some days severalindividuals (recognizablefrom differencesin plumage)were seen. About 10 StsTro•A•O PETrieGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region I.['Auk Jan. one in every six was a gray adult male. Especiallycommon about sugar-cane fields near Mante and E1 Limon. March 23, a brown individual that circled a field near the Ranchocackled vigorously. April 1, Pettingill saw a Marsh Hawk chasinga SpottedSandpiper down river. The hard-pressedsandpiper suddenly flew into the water, bewilderingits pursuer, reappearedan instantlater, and flew off. The hawk did not resumethe chase. BLACKISrICP-•E HAWK,Geranospiza nigra nigra.--Not seenin 1941. In 1938, however,John B. Sempletook an immature male along the Sabinason March 1 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1999: 27). OsPrey,Pandion haliagtus.--Singlebird seenflying over the Sabinas,March 20, March 24, and frequently from April 15 to 29. LAUGHINGFALCON, Herpetotheres cachinnans.--Noted but once: a fully adult bird, circlingover the Ranchonot very high in air, April 11. LESSON'SCOLL•a•S.• MXCR•STtaZ, Micrastur semitorquatus naso.--Noted daily near the Rancho,usually in the early morning or at nightfall when, from somethicket near the river, its loud, half-human ah-ow, ah-ow, ah-ow would sound. March 31, one was seen eating an Alta Mira Oriole. Again, on April 3, one was frightened from the ground where it had been feeding on a Chachalaca. Adult male taken April 1; immature male, with heavily barred under parts, taken April 13. CARAC•a•A,Polyborus cheriway.--Noted almost daily about the Rancho, though not commonthere. One or two came occasionallywith the vultures to feed on garbage. Birds carryingfood in their mouthsseen April 2. Pair seencopulating April 3 (Warner). BATFALCON, Falco albigularis.--On April 5 a pair of Bat Falconswere encountered two miles down-river from the Rancho in preciselythe spot where, on March 3, 1938,a breedingpair weretaken by the seniorauthor (Sutton and Burleigh,1932: 27). Here Warner sawthe femalefly into a hole high in a dead tree and found feathers of many small birds, including rectricesof the Prevost'sMango, Anthracothorax prevostii, underneath the eyrie. The male was taken April 8, the female April 10. The ovidi•ct of the latter was greatly swollenand there were distinct brood- patcheson the belly. All our specimenshave been carefullyidentified by Mr. Adriaan J. van Rossem, who finds them to be intermediatebetween F. a. albigularisand F. a. petrophilus, the latter in size, close to the former in color. S•,Ae,•owHAWK, Falco sparverius.--Noteddaily, March 12 to April 4. Several seenin open country about Mante, March 12. One seendiving at pair of Mexican Goshawks,March 14. In a dead tree near the Rancho three birds perchedalmost constantly,March 15 to 25. Thereafter one bird a day was seen until April 4, when the speciesdisappeared. MEXICANCURASSOW or Faisano Real, Crax rubra.--Seenand heard repeatedlyin big timber half way up the mountain southwestof the Rancho. Males heard boomingvirtually every day, March 15 to April 14. This call, a deep, resonant oomp, best imitated in the throat with the lips dosed,was nearly alwaysgiven from some large tree in the depths of the forest. Though impressive,it did not carry far. More than once we were surprisedat discoveringbooming birds directly overhead. The neck-skinof a male taken March 15 was thick and flabby. The subcutaneous tissueswere muscular,being suppliedwith a considerablenetwork of blood vessels. Vol.x942•9'• a SUXTON^ND PExxmaxrr, Birds o[ GomezFarias Region 11

The gizzardlining was exceedingly tough and deeplycorrugated. Large caeca were noted. March 17, two nests were discovered on the mountain southwest of the Rancho. Oneof these(unoccupied) was made entirely of greenleaves. It wasflimsy, though supportedby an amplecrotch, and wasabout fifteen feet from the ground. The otherwas in a vine-coveredclump of slendertrees some distance farther up the mountain,and twentyfeet from the ground. Here the femalewas incubating. From the slopewe could seeher dark tail and tousledcrest. WhenPettingill and Lea returnedfor photographs,both parentsprotested volubly,scampering about on the ground,giving thin screams,peculiar grunts, and wails. There were two huge, white eggs (see Plate 2). These remained in the nestuntil the night of March23, whenthey weredestroyed by somepredator. Unlessagitated by our being near their nestsor young, the birds kept high in the trees. On two occasions(March 21 and April 14) Suttoncame suddenly upon females that must have had young. One mother bird ran back and forth throughthe brushcalling kwut, kwut, and givinga thin, penetratingsqueal. The otherflopped from a tree to the gaound,spread and shookher tail, and limpedaway groaning loudly. PURPLISHGUAN or Ajol, Penelopepurpurascens purpurascens.--Fairly common in heavilywooded sections at riverlevel as well as at greaterelevations. One pair nestedin the 'tropical corner'--adense, tangled woodland at a bend of the Sabinas a quarter of a mile upstreamfrom the Kancho. Early in the morningand at nightfall mated birds frequentlycalled to each otherin plaintivekelps which could be hearda longway. FromMarch 21 to the endof themonth courtship antics were observed, especially in the deepwoods half wayup the mountain.Here the malessparred, threatening their rivalswith harsh,throaty cackles; pursued each other through the topsof the big trees;and drummedby flyingfrom perch to perchwith wings beating rapidly. They were surprisinglynimble. Oftenthey leaped from bough to boughwithout spreading theirwings, or movedinto a newtree with an easyglide. In drummingthey flew slowlywith wingsbeating furiously, sometimes moving upward, sometimes turning from side to side in mid-air, as if in a daze. The birdsfed almostexclusively on the ripe xoxotlplums (probably $pondias mornbin)which at this seasonwere abundant. This fruit theyplucked directly from the branches.Not oncedid we seean adultPurplish Guan on or near the ground. April 26, Pettingilland Lea cameupon a downyyoung one in the 'tropical corner.'Though obviously only a few daysold, it flew up from the ground, alightedon a branch,ran into a tangleof vines,and disappeared.Sutton was fortunateenough to findthis (or another)young bird the following day. This timethe little thing was fifty or sixtyfeet from the ground, running briskly along a nakedlimb. Theparents, still higher in thetrees, were giving a dolefuloutcry. Keachingthe end of thebranch, the baby flew lightly to anothertree. Shooting it wasdifficult, for the brancheshid it remarkablywell. It wasabout the size of a Bob-whiteQuail, with long, thin neck.Though downy, its remigeswere well developed,and its tail about2¬ incheslong. Above,it wasrich chestnut mottledwith buffyand black. The medianpart of the crown,nape, and hind neckwas chestnut, bordered at eitherside with a bandof black,a line of white, 12 SUTTONAND PETTINCILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region i.['Auk Jan. then a dark area that faded into the white of the throat and neck-front. The chestand sideswere reddishbrown, the belly was white. The eyeswere clear gray,the bare area about them olive, the feet reddishbrown. In its crop were bits of tender leaves. A male and a femalewere taken abovethe Sabinason February28, 1938,by the seniorauthor (Suttonand Burleigh,1939: 28). CHACHALACA,Ortalis vetula vetula.--Abundantin thicketedparts of the low country and, where the forest was open or brushy,on mountainsup to about 2000 feet. Nearly alwaysseen (or heard) in companiesof from four to six or seven,probably family groups. Called loudly before rains (especiallythunder- storms) and sometimes,when the moon was bright, at night. Alarmed by the presenceof someenemy it sometimesgave a harsh churr, churr, rather than the usual cha-cha-lac. Groups of nestsdiscovered by us in the huisachethickets indicated that this speciesmay be somewhatcolonial at times. BOB-W•T•., Colinus virginianus.--Fairlycommon in open country on and about the Rancho. Pairsnoted almostdaily, March 18 to May 3. Heard only infrequently, presumablybecause there were few unmated males. April 24, a nest containing seveneggs was found in a field closeby the house. Though weedswere cut leav- ing the nest exposed,the female laid two more eggs,deserting on the 27th. Three adults taken (male and female, E1 Limon, March 29; male, Rancho, April 3) differ widely inter se, especiallyas regardsthe markingsof the chestand belly. These, in turn, are different from two San Luis Potosi males (*falles and Matlapa), and quite unlike four topotypical C. v. maculatus from Alta Mira, Tamaulipas, in being gray rather than black-crownedand in being much more heavily spotted with black below. For the present we may call Gomez Farias birds intermediate between texanus and maculatus. S•NC•NCQUAIL, Dactylortyx thoracicusthoracicus.--The name 'Long-clawedQuail,' by which this speciesis sometimesknown, is inadequate. The unforgettablething about Dactylortyxis its song--aloud, rhythmical outburst that makesone think of a large wren, thrasher,or solitaire. We were puzzled by this 'singing bird of the mountain' literally for weeks. SinceSutton had seenDactylortyx near the Rancho in 1938, he expectedto obtain specimens. But not until Warner chanced to hear part of the songjust as a quail flew up did any of us suspectthat two of our 'mysterybirds'--the quail that no one ever had a chanceto shoot, and the 'singingbird' that no one ever saw--wereone and the samespeciesl The birds inhabitatedsteep, thicketedslopes. With a pretty twittering they would burst from underfoot, to rocket off up, or down, or acrossthe mountain- side. Following them often meant climbing from ledge to ledge. We usually encounteredthem in pairs. The malesmight sing at any time of the day, but they seemedto prefer rainy or foggymornings. Frequentlythey sangat nightfalh The songbegan uncertainly, with an experimentalwhistle. After a pausethe whistlewas repeated. Gaining strength, it camemore rapidly, three times, four times, five times--full-throated,sure of itself, even defiant--thenbroke into a rollicking pitchwheeler! pitch wheeler! pitch wheeler! and trailedoff with low twittering. Pettingill took the first specimens--abreeding male and female with well- defined brood patch, April 11. April 16, Sutton collecteda female and her brood of two newly hatchedyoung, The circumstanceswere interesting.Making his way alonga rockyledge, he hearda quail near him. Suddenlya bird flew out, THE AUK, VOL. 59 PLATE

BLACK VULTURE ON NEST

DOWNY YOUNGSINGING QUAIL 13 Vol.194259] a SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region giving him no shot. Lookingdown he spiedanother bird crouchednot more than a yard from his foot. Backingslowly, he eventuallyshot. Pickingup the female bird he found two youngones, obviously just hatched. They were dark chestnut above,with a buffy line along either side of the rump, bright buffy superciliary area, dark line through the eye, red-brown bill, and somewhatclouded or mottled under parts (seePlate 3). He did not find the nest itself. WILD TURKEY,Meleagris gallopavo.--On April 8, Warner and our Mexican camp- man, Maclovio Rodriguez, travelled by horsebackto a mesa six or seven miles northeastof the Rancho. Here in clumpsof trees that dotted the grassytable- land, they heard the gobblingof turkeys. A single turkey sccnnear the Rancho behaved like a wild bird, for it flew well, but it was thought to be partly domesticated. WESTERNSOLITARY SANDPIPER, Tringa solitaria cinnamomea.--TheSolitary Sand- piper was recordedtwice along the Sabinas,a male taken April 9 (Pettingill) and a singlebird seenApril 27. Though without marblingon the inner web of the outermostprimary, our specimenis too large for the easternform, the wing measuring137 mm., the culmen 29.5. SPOTTEDSANDPIPER, Actitis macularia.--Notedalong the SabinasMarch 14 to May 3, usually one or two, but occasionallyas many as four birds each day. One wasseen to escapefrom a MarshHawk by flyinginto the water,April 1 (Pettingill). RED-BILLEDPIGEON, Columba fiavirostris fiavirostris.--Noted daily, usuallynear the river. A flock (ten to thirty individuals)gathered near the Rancho each morning. After feeding and drinking they sat quietly in a clump of bamboo or on dead cypressbranches. The usual call-notewas a long-drawn-outooooooh, followedby the syllablesup-cup-a-coo. The first signof nest-buildingwas noted March 18, a bird with a twig in its bill (Lea). Male with sligi•tlyenlarged testes taken April 21 (Warner). EASTERNMOURNING DOVE, Zenaidura macroura carolinensis.--The Mourning Dove wasnoted throughout our stay,infrequently from March 12 to April 21, in great numbersthereafter. With the clearingof certainfields on April 20 and 21 large flocks (from one to two hundred birds) suddenlyappeared. Though no nest wasfound, courtship behavior was noted on severaloccasions. A male takenby Warner,April 16, representsthe easternrace (wing, 147mm.; tail, 136). EASTr•NWroTE-WINGED DOVE, Zenaida asiatica asiatica.--Heard infrequently, April 5 to April 21. Seenfirst in the Rio Frio districtwhere, on April 18, Warner took two males (testes6 X 10.5 min.). Becamesteadily more common near the Rancho after April 21. Noted as 'abundant' April 30. These dates probablyindicate the progressof the species'spring migration. The twoabove-mentioned males and a maletaken at the RanchoApril 27 (Lea) measurerespectively, wing, 159, 156, 163 min.; tail, 112, 111, and 106, and are, therefore, too small for the westernrace, Z. a. mearnsi. Furthermore,no bird of the three is pale enough for that subspecies. INCADOVE, Scarda[ella inca.--Fairly common about the Ranchobuildings, where it wasseen daily. March30, a nestwith two heavilyincubated eggs was found in a small orangetree. The followingday both the male and the female were seensitting on thisnest (Pettingill).The eggshatched April 2. The young disappeareda few daysthereafter, probably victims of a housecat. May 2, two maleswere seensparring over a female. The three birds sat close sideby sideon a twig,the femalein the middle,with wingsclosed. The males, 14 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds ol GomezFarias Region I.['Auk Jan. fluttering,struggled with eachother, locking bills, strikingwith their wings, andjumping on to andoff the femalerepeatedly (Sutton and Lea). GROUNDDOVe, Columbigallina passerina.--Noted daily. Commonerin open countryin the vicinityof E1 Limonand Mantethan alongthe Sabinas.A few pairsnested in thecleared area around the Rancho buildings. Here a nestwith one egg was found March 26. BLUE GROUNDDOVE, Claravis pretiosa.--Identified with certainty but once--a male,flushed from the roadwaybetween the Ranchobuildings and the highwayand very clearlyseen, April 1 (Sutton and Warner). WmTE-FRONT•Dove, Leptotila verreauxiangelica.--Seen and heard daily in brushywoodland at river-levelas well as on the mountainup to about2000 feet. Most birds seen were flushedfrom the ground in thickets. Alighting, they ex- pressedcuriosity or alarmby lifting their tailsand bobbingtheir heads.Several nests were found, those on the mountainsideinvariably among boulders, those at river-level near the ground, in trees or vines. Two sets of eggsdiscovered March 29 were heavily incubated. One of thesesets hatched the following day. Nest with fresh eggsfound April 15. A male taken April 23 is a trifle more vinaceouson the chest than Texas examplesof angelicaat hand, but the under tail-covertsare only slightlywashed with buffy along the edges,and the middle of the belly is almost pure white. EASTERNMEXICAN MILITARY MACAW, Ara militaris mexicana.--Notedalmost daily. Pairs, or flocksof up to sixty individuals,flew over the Rancho morningsand eve- nings, occasionallyalighting closeby. They usually flew abreast,their squawks being audible a mile or more on calm days. They fed on variousfruits and seeds, and were considereda pest by the farmers. Accordingto our camp-man,they nest in August. Two males (testesslightly enlarged) were obtained:March 27; April 27. The latter was molting extensively,the longestrectrices being broken at the tip. In the perfectspecimen the tail measures408 mm. GP,•ENPAe,•KFmT, Aratinga holochlora holochlora.--Seendaily, fluctuating in abundancewith the food supply. Usually flew high in air, racing back and forth abovethe woodedmountainside, shrieking noisily. From April 15 on, most flocks werecomposed of matedbirds. April 30, Suttonwatched a singlebird fly silently to a large cavity high in a cypressnear the river, climb along the edge using bill as well as feet, and disappearinside. Mated pair (molting; gonadsnot enlarged) taken April 16, at Rancho (Pettingill). Female taken by Sutton on March 1, 1938 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 29). AZTEC?ARAKEET, Aratinga astecvicinalis.--Identified with certainty only once in 1941--two,at closerange, at the foot of the mountain,April 16 (Sutton). Seen repeatedlyFebruary 28 to March 5, 1938; a male specimenwas taken by Burleigh, March 1 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939:29). WHITE-CROWNEDPAemOT, Pionus senilis senilis.--Not recorded during the course of our expedition;but Warner took a solitarymale on the mountainback from the Sabinason August 13, 1941. This speciesapparently has not heretoforebeen recordedfrom Tamaulipas. I•D-C•OWN• PAemOT,Amazona viridigenalis.--Noteddaily wherever we went. Noisy in the morning, when feeding, and in the evening just before roosting. Usual cry a harsh kee-ee,craw, craw, craw. Fed on nuts, berries, buds and flowers, and variouslarger fruits, taking them in season.Very wasteful,biting only a small chunk from a fruit or pod and dropping the rest. Vol./59']•94• a SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region

Courtshipwas going on at the time of our arrival, many birds being paired, otherssparring and chasing(March 12). Such birds sometimescame to grips in mid-air, fluttering upward as if climbing an invisiblewire. Devoted males were seento walk the entire length of a branchin presentingsome tidbit to their mates. In late March therewas considerable bickering over nestcavities. March 31, Sutton watchedone pair finally win out over contendersand setfie down in an old LineatedWoodpecker's nest in a big cypress,sixty feet from the ground. Here a parrot'shead poppedout wheneverany of our party made a commotion under the tree. In our night hunting we occasionallydisturbed roosting flocks of Red-crowns, and once' (April 7) a flock that we had not disturbedflew screechingpast us in the moonlight. Amongthe enemiesof this speciesmust be mentionedthe OrnateHawk-eagle, whichmore than once we sawbearing down upon the screamingflocks, and under whosefavorite treeswe occasionallyfound bunchesof parrot feathers. Y•L•.OW-H•AD•DPARROT, Amazona ochrocephala oratrix.--Noted only as follows: March 17, three seenin cypressnear river; April 1, four seenand one breeding male in fine plumagecollected half a mile southof the Rancho (Lea);April 18, severalseen in the Rio Frio district,fifteen miles south of the Rancho (Warner). Not seenby seniorauthor's party in 1938. BLACK-BILLeDCUCKOO, Coccyzus erythrophthalmus.--Noted twice--April 30, one in brushywoodland three miles north of the Rancho(Pettingill); and May 3, two seen and male (testessomewhat enlarged; tail in irregular molt) taken two miles north of the Rancho (Sutton). CENTRALAMERICAN SQUIRREL CUCKOO, Piaya cayana thermophila.--Noteddaily, March 14 to April 26, at considerableelevation on the mountain (2000feet) as well as at river-level. Sprightlyfor a cuckoo,and equippedwith a varietyof call- notes.the commonestbeing an imperative creep-rear,or keep-rear,like one of the DerbyFlycatcher's cries but louder;another--something in the natureof a song--a loud kweep, kweep, kweep, kweep. Little seen after April 26, perhapsbecause of nestingactivities. Specimenscollected March 20 and 28, 1941, and by senior author'sparty March 1-4, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh, 1939:30). GROOVE-BILLEDANI, ½rotophagasulcirostris.--Seen first, April 7--five birds perched near a hut along the main highway. Noted often thereafter. Female (with enlargedovary) taken April 11 (Lea). Male and female taken by senior author'sparty, March 1, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh,1939: 30). ROAD-RUNNER,Geococcyx californianus.--Noted several times along the highway betweenVictoria and Mante, but seennear the Ranchoonly once--asingle bird runningalong a road abouttwo mileseast, March 27 (Sutton). GUATEMALASCP.•ECH OWL, Otus guatemalae.--Trillingsounds which were ac- creditedto ScreechOwls were heard on severaloccasions, by day as well as by night, and at river-levelas well as on the mountain,but the genusOtus was recordedwith certainty only once--on April 11, when a female was shot at the entrance to her nest (Pettingill). The nest tree was at about 1500 feet elevation. The cavitywas fifteenfeet from the ground. The bird'soviduct was swollen and the ova rangedin sizefrom that of a BB shotto ¬ inch in diameter. The bird had pale-yelloweyes. It was very fat; and the featherlesscondition of the toeswas at once apparent. The contentsof the nest was not determined. So fax as we have beenable to determine,Otus guatemalae has not heretofore beentaken anywhere in Tamaulipas.Our specimenis like the typeof O. g. 16 SUTTONANDPETTINGILL, Birdso[ Gomez Farias Region [AukJan. cassini(U.S. National Museumno. 27115)in size,but grayer throughoutthe upper parts. M^¾^NHORNED OWL, Bubo virginianus mayensis.--Recordedbut once--a female, with unenlargedovary and no signof brood-patch,taken April 10 alongthe Sabinas near the Rancho (Sutton). This specimenis of the brown, rather than the gray phase. It is large, having a wing of 334 min. (the wing of the type of mayensis, a female, measuresonly 315 min.), and may, therefore,if we follow Griscom's concept (see Ibis, 1935: 546), be consideredintermediate between mayensisand pallescens. FERRUGINOUSPYGMY OWL, Glaucidium brasilianum ridgwayi.--Recorded daily and nightly, March 14-April 25, on mountainsidein openerwoodland, as well as at river-level. Five specimenstaken, March 20-April 24. Three of these are gray- phasemales, one a grayish-brownmale, and one a very brownfemale. Two males taken by seniorauthor's party March 3, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh, 1939:30). T^M^ULIV^SWoo•) OwL, Ciccabavirgata tamaulipensis.--Fairlycommon at river- level and along the foot of the mountain. Seenand heard principally on moonlit nights. Seemedto pxefer brushierwoodland for its hunting, spendingmuch of its time near the ground. Characteristiccry an exhalant boob,boob, boob, boob, boob, loudest in the middle of the series. Three specimenswere taken--afemale, April 8 (Lea);a male,April 11 (Warner); and a male, April 94 (Sutton). These havebeen directlycompared with the type of C. v. tamaulipensisby Mr. JamesL. Peters,who reports that the second,while ø'a little buffier below" is nevertheless"very closeto the type"; that the third is "also clearly tamaulipensis";but that the first is "not certainly distinguishable from average centralis." With the present series (together with two birds from Linares, Nuevo Leon) in hand, he believes tamaulipensisto have "dark and pale phases"--aconcept Phillips (1911:76), in namingthe race from a single specimen,probably did not entertain. MEXICANPOTOO, Nyctibius griseus mexicanus.--Firstrecorded March 17 when, just after nightfall, Sutton took a breedingmale at the foot of the mountain half a mile southwestof the Rancho. Taken thereafterApril 8 (femalewith ova up to ¬ inch in diameter);April 11 (male with much enlargedtestes); and April 13 (femalewith much enlargedovary). Noted twice at about 1500feet elevation. At nightfall thesewide-winged birds flappedup from the huipilla thicketsto prominent percheswhere, sitting upright, they looked about for prey. Their calls were rough squawks,screams, and hoots, often human in quality, none resemblingthe word potoovery closely.Their eyesshone brilliantly in the rays of our flashlights. They were not particularly wary but we did not succeedin luring them by 'squeaking'or by our ludicrousimitations of their cries. TExasNIgaTx-It, W•C, Chordeiles acutipennis texensis.--Noted early in the morning or at nightfall in the vicinity of the Rancho,as follows:a few, April 5; one, April 6; several,above recently cleared fields, April 17;a looseflock moving north- ward,April 18; two,April 21; and four, April 92. A maleand a femaletaken by Warner, April 17, are of this race, the wing of the male measuring189 ram., that of the female, 176. NIG•IT•I^W•C,Chordeiles minor.--Included in the list wholly on the basisof a single bird's pee.ee call-note. Distinctly heard severaltimes on the eveningof April 15. The senior author, during severalseasons of field work in the south- westernUnited Statesand Mexico, has never heard Chordeilesacutipennis give any such cry. TH• AUK, VOL. 59 PLATE 4

INCA DOVE ON NEST

BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD ON IN•EST Vol.194• •] .• SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region

YUCATANPAURAQUE, Nyctidromus albicollis yucatanensis.--Notcommon. Noted infrequently (nevermore than one bird at a time) March 15-April 11, in brush- land at river-level. Our only specimen,a breedingmale taken by Lea, April 7, is very gray above in comparisonwith N. a. merrilli at hand, and is too small for that race (wing, 171 mm.; tail, 158). We follow Peters (1940: 193) in con- sideringnelsoni and sumichrastias synonymsof yucatanensis. SALVIN'SWHIPPOORWILL, Caprimulgus serico-caudatussalvini.--First recorded early in the morning,April 1, when its readilyrecognizable chip-will-low song was heard. Noted almostconstantly on clearernights, April 6 to 25. Hard to see, for its favoritesong-perches frequently were far from roadsor trails, in the very thickestof the low-countrywoodlands. The only alarm note heard was a low quert. April 11, two males,with greatly enlargedtestes, were taken (Sutton and Warner). EASTERNWHIPPOORWILL, Caprimulgus vocfferus vocfferus.--Recordedwith cer- tainty only on March 30, when a male (with slightly enlarged testes)was taken along the trail at the foot of the mountain; and on April 21, when a male and a female (with somewhatenlarged gonads) were taken at about river-levelsouth of the Rancho (Sutton). The stomachsof all three specimenswere packed with insect remains. The first had eaten a huge moth whose abdomen was full of pale green eggs. Not a sound was heard from any of these birds, though on April 21 the allied species,Caprimulgus serico-caudatus, which must breed com• monly in the region, was in full song. CHIMNEYSWIFT, Chaetura pelagica.--Male (with slightly enlarged testes)taken from loose flocks of swifts along the Sabinas,April 15. Female (ovary not en- larged) taken from small, northward-circlingflock of pelagicaabove open field at Rancho, April 27. Probably present in the region between these two dates, since small, dark swifts were seen repeatedly. TAMAULIPAS¾AUX'S SWIFT, Chaetura vauxi tamaulipensis.--Smallswifts were ob- serveddaily along the Sabinasfrom March 17 to the end of our stay. Most of theseprobably were of the presentform, though specimenswere actuallycollected only on April 11 (male with greatly enlargedtestes) and on April 15 (male and two females,each with much enlargedgonads). On fine days the birds flew high, in misty weather low, at about tree-top level. What we took to be copulating was observedfrom April 11 on, 'pairs' coming to grips in mid-air and falling almost to the ground together. On two occasionsbirds were seen to fly into hollow trees near the river (Sutton). CURVED-WINGEDSABle-WING, Pampa pampa curvipennis.--Rare. Recorded seven times, March 19-April 10, a singing male being collectedMarch 19 (Sutton). Encounteredonly in tanglesof vines on mountainsidesouthwest of the Rancho, at from 1000 to 1500 feet. BUFF-BELLIEDHUMMINGBIRD, Amazilia yucatanensischalconota.--Common. Noted daily from river-level to highestpoints reachedon mountain (about 2000 feet), in brushyrather than deep woodland. Male taken March 27 (Warner). Males appeared to have individual feeding territories which they defended vigorously. Courtship observedduring latter part of March. First signsof nest- building noted March 30 when, on a rocky slope,a female was seen to gather downy material and spiderwebfrom a tall cactus. April 22, a nest (two eggs) was found only a few feet from the ground near a woodland road. Here the female remainedmotionless while Pettingill and Lea placed their cameraswithin 18 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o) • GomezFarias Region L[Auk Jan.

twelve inches (see Plate 4). April 26, a female was watchedas, with suddenup- ward jerks of her bill, she pulled lichensfrom a great tree. BROAD-BI•.•.EDHUMMINGBIRD, Cynanthus latirostris.--March 30, while making his way along the foot of a cliff southwestof the Rancho (at about 1500feet), Pettingill discovereda Broad-billedHummer's nest. It was fastenednear the tip of a slender,leafless twig about four feet from the ground. Striking the nest before seeing it, he knocked the two heavily incubated eggs out. Both were broken, one only slightly. The female continuedto incubate this damagedegg for a day, then deserted.All of our party had abundantopportunity to observe and identify her. Severalphotographs were taken. The specieswas not other- wise recordedduring our stay. PREVOST'SMeco, Anthracothorax prevosti prevosti.--Common. Not seen be- fore April 1, hencethought to be migratory. Males perchedon naked,slender twigs in exposedplaces (usually not far from the ground) when not feeding or wranglingwith other males. Along the road betweenthe Ranchobuildings and the 'gate' (a quarter of a mile away) eleven males were seenregularly through- out April. In flight they boundedalong, chippering noisily. Males and females sometimesfed togetherabout floweringepiphytes growing on treesnear the river. Femaleswere often seen gathering nest material from April 5 on. Only one nest was found, however. This was near the end of a slender dead stub, about fifty feet from the ground,in a solitarycypress near the river. The femaleworked at leasteight daysin building this nest. RUBY-THROATEDHUMMINGBIRD, Archilochus colubris.--Adult males seen repeatedly about blossomingorange-trees and in patchesof bright-red Salvia, March 23-27. Male collectedMarch 23 (Pettingill). In April noted on the 22d (male taken by Warner) and from the 28th to the 30th (severalfemales about floweringtree near the river). Molting female taken April 30 (Sutton). B•.ACK-½aINNEDHUMMINCBIRn, Archilochus alexandri.--Recorded with certainty but once--March 19, a male seen clearly at closerange in thicket at river-level (Pettingill). Somefemale hummingbirdsseen April 28-30 possiblywere of this speciesalso. COPPER¾-TM•TROCON, Trogon ambiguus ambiguus.--Noted daily, sometimesin flocks, more often in groups of three or four. Certain males and females went about as if paired, but flockscomposed largely of males were noted as late as May 2; little was seen that could be interpretedas courtship;and the gonadsof specimenstaken were uneularged.Our failure to record any other speciesof trogonis worthy of note. RSNGE•KINCFISm•R, Megaceryle torquata.--Noted infrequently, March 27 to April 25, along the Sabinas. Birds appearedto be mated, and severallarge burrows were examined, but no occupied nest was discovered. BE•.x• KINgFISHVat,Megaceryle alcyon.--Noted along the Sabinas, March 14- April 8. Male and female seenApril 4, appearedto be courting. Someof their cries,uttered in flight, were repeatedphrases somewhat in the nature of song. There is no descriptionof sucha performancein Bent'sthoroughgoing account of this species(1940: 111-129). GREENKINCVISaER, Chloroceryle americana.--One to four birds fishedregularly at shallowsalong the Sabinasnear the Rancho. Upstreamfrom theseshallows, in a vertical bank, an occupiednest-burrow was discoveredMarch 26 (Sutton). Youngwere still being fed here when last we visitedthe place,May 2. Vol.59'[ SUTTONXND PEX'nNamL, Birds of GomezFarias Region 19 •942 a

BLUE-CROWNEDMOTMOT, Momotus coeruliceps.--Noteddaily, its owlish poot, poot being a familiar sound. Commonestalong the river, though severalpairs lived in gullies on the mountain at somedistance from the water. Male taken March 24 not in breeding condition (Lea). Female with much enlargedovary taken and partly finished nest-burrow discoveredin chunk of earth adhering to roots of overturned tree the following day (Sutton). Two other occupied nests found subsequently--inshadowy banks, among great roots. The birds squawked and grunted when we invaded their nest-territories. One bird, observed near its nest April 30, was bob-tailed, all the rectriceshaving been worn or broken off, presumablyin the burrow. GOLDEN-FRONTEDWOODPECKER, Centurus aurifrons.--Fairlycommon in opener woodland. Pair found working on nest,April 4. Half finishedwith their excavat- ing, they were besetby a pair of Tityras, who were determinedto occupythe cavity themselves.The quarrel lasted severaldays, but the woodpeckersfinally won. Another nest, found April 11, was in a large stub near the river, twenty feet from the ground. MEXICANGREEN WOODPECKER, Chloronerpes aeruginosus.--Noted on the mountain aswell asat river-level;not common.March 27, Warnertook a male (with much enlargedtestes but no brood-patch)at a recentlyfinished nest, twenty-five feet from the ground,at the top of a stub in mixed woodland.April 18, Sutton observedflicker-like courtship behavior--prancing, bowing, and spreadingof wings and tail. April 24, Pettingilldiscovered a nest. Here,after a periloustrip across the floodedriver, he obtainedphotographs of the parentbirds. Breedingspecimens from the GomezFarias region appearto be the sameas strictlycomparable material from the Mesa de Chipinque,near Monterrey, NuevoLeon. This is difficultfor onewho has worked at bothplaces to compre- hend. At GomezFarias the bird'shabitat is tropical.At the Mesade Chipinque (5000 to 7000 feet elevation)the summernights are cool and the woodsare of oak and pinel LINEATEDWOODPECKER, Ceophloeus lineatus.--About as commonas Scapaneus guatemalensisand found in the samehabitat. Distinctlymore flicker-likethan that species,however, especially as regardscourtship behavior and call-notes. Partly finishednest found April 13, in huge cypressalong the Sabinas,about ninety feet from the ground. VERXCRUZIVORY-roLLED WOODPECKER, Scapaneus guatemalensis regius.--Fairly com- mon, especiallyin heavierwoodland at river-level. Usual call-notea bleat, dis- tinctlyreminiscent of the kint of theUnited States Ivory-bill, Campephilus princi- palis,as heard by thesenior author in Louisianain 1935.Sharp double-rap also likethat of Campephilus.Two nests found--one (partly finished) halfway up the mountain,at about1500 feet, April 12; the other,ready for eggs,about fifteen feetfrom the ground,in leaningdead tree near the river,April 30. Two females, takenApril 8, representthe present large subspecies (wing, 198; 201 mm.). OLEAGINOUSWOODPECKER, Veniliornis oleaginus oleaginus.--Recorded on three occasions:March 14, one in small-bird flock, at foot of mountain a mile south- westof the Rancho;March 15, two birds,in the sameplace; and March27, a singlemale collected by Warnerat 1500feet on the ridgebetween the Rancho and GomezFarias. Apparentlythis woodpecker has not heretoforebeen recorded in Tamaulipas. TEXASLa•DER-•ACJCF-• WOODPECKER, Dryobates scalaris symplectus.--Fairly com- monin brushywoodland at river-level. Courtship noted in earlyand mid-April. 20 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o! GomezFarias Region L['Auk Jan.

Nest with eggsfound April 26. A femaletaken by Warner, March 19, is neither very large (wing, 98 mm.) nor strikinglywhite on the back,but it is pale below and we are convincedthat it representsD. s. symplectusrather than D. s. sealaris,the latter being the race assignedby Ridgway, Hellmayr and others to "southern Tamaulipas." IVORY-BILLEDWOODHEWER, Xiphorhynchus flavigaster eburneirostris.--Common in all sorts of woodlandand at all elevationsvisited. Often seen feeding about epiphytes on horizontal branches. What appeared to be mated birds seen as early as March 14, but a female taken that day and one taken March 21 showed no sign of breedingactivity. No nest found. Customarycall-note thee-leer, or whee-leer. Songstrongly suggested that of the CanyonWren, Catherpesmexicanus. MzxIcA• A•T-SHRmE,Thamnophilus doliatus mexicanus.--Noted daily, March 31- May 2, alwaysin densetangles near river. The first one seenwas a fully adult male. No other[ully adult bird o! eithersex was seen. Three malestaken (April 12, 15 and 28) were subadult,with gray eyesand slightlyenlarged testes. Song a rapidly descendingseries of hoots, almost rolled, not loud but noticeable,and sometimesterminated by an accented,inhalant note. Our three malesare long-wingedand -tailed, hencerepresent the race mexieanus (seeSutton and Burleigh,1940: 228). They measure:wing, 73, 72, 71 mm.; tail, 73, 74, 70.5. Thamnophilusdoliatus apparently has not heretoforebeen recorded north of Alta Mira. Tamaulipas (Richmond,1896: 630). The senior author's party did not seeit in the GomezFarias region in 1938. ROSE-THROAZEDCOZmG•, Platypsaris aglaiae gravis.--Common. Courtship be- havior (crestqiftingand jerky bowing)noted from day of our arrival on. Nest- buildingfirst observed April 3, othernests being found virtually every day there- after in treesnear the river,at or nearthe endof a longswaying branch, from fortyto seventyfeet from the groundor water. Nestsincredibly bulky, one that we collectedbeing a massof Spanishmoss, roughly 12.5 inches wide and 15.5inches deep,with 2.5-inch-wide entrance at oneside, and with masses of mosshanging belowand to one side (seePlate 6). Malesand femalesbuilt neststogether. Twittering constantly, they gathered materialnear and far, flyingin with big loadstrailing. One of their special crieswas a thin hew,followed by an oddsputtering. l•rom five to ninedays were spent in building a nest. Occupiednests of theGiraud's l•lycatcher, Myiozetetes similis, frequently were foundwithin a fewfeet of, or on thesame branch with, the Cotinga nests. The flycatchersfollowed the Cotingasabout, alighting near them with wings flutter- ing, calling petulantly,sometimes stealing wisps of mossfrom them. At least six Cotinganests under close observation during latter April werenear nests of this interestingflycatcher. Watchinga pair of Cotingasfor twohours on themorning of April25, Sutton sawboth birds add mouthful after mouthful of mossto theiralready enormous nest;watched the femaleenter (to lay an eggor incubate);and followedthe maleto a treetophung with vines,where the bird proceededto singuninter- ruptedlyfor overhalf an hour. The songwas a conversationalchi-zoo, wheez-oo, chi-zoo,kee-zoo, repeated over and over,with pausesof a secondor moreafter eachgroup of four syllables. M•xic• M•s•a•DT•zYa•, Tityra semifasciatapersonata.--Common. Some birds matedat timeof ourarrival, others going about in threesor fours,perching drowsilyin a leaflesstreetop for a time,then suddenly chasing each other, giving THE AUK, VOL. 59 PLATE 5

'].'E•.AS I)F. RBY FLYCATCHER AT NEST

NF•'rs oF TEXAS DERBYFLYCATCHER (left, in situ) AND BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER Vol.59] SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o! GomezFarias Region 2 l a dry quert, quert call-note. Courtshipincluded snapping off and presentation of twigs accompaniedby head-wagging. Nest-huntingfirst observedApril 1. Thereafterpairs at nestswere the rule. April 10, a femalewas seen to carryforty-two twigs to her nest (an old wood- peckerhole) in half an hour. During this time she receivedno direct assistance from her mate. April 17, at anotherstub, both the male and the female were seento carry twigsout o] their nest. April 4 to 8, a pair at the Ranchosparred fiercelywith a pair of Golden-frontedWoodpeckers who were doing their best to finish a nest for their own use. April 25, a pair were collectedat the Rancho. The female was laying eggs. Within two hours the desertednest was claimedby a pair of Sulphur-belliedFly- catchers,who in turn were forced to expel three other pairs of Tityrasl EASTERNPaOEBE, Sayornis phoebe.--Single bird noted near the Rancho, March 20-23. MEXICANVERMILION FLYCATCHER, Pyrocephalus rubinus mexicanus.--On the senior author's first visit to the Gomez Farias region this specieswas fairly common along the Sabinas (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 33). In 1941 it was rare. Lone male and three femalesnoted March 24. Single male seen April 5. Male col- lected April 14 (Lea). COUCH'SKINGBIRD, Tyrannus melancholicus couchi.--Seen nowhere before April 18, henceprobably arrived from the south on that date. From the 18th to the 27th, uncommon;thereafter abundant, severalpairs taking up their residencenear the Rancho. Territorial disputessettled by about the end of the month. Most song-likeutterance a loud fit-breer, the latter syllablea rolled chatter. SULPI-IUR-BELLIEDFLYCATCHER, Myiodynastes luteiventris luteiventris.--Firstseen April 4, a single bird. Male (slightly enlarged testes)taken the following day. Four birds seenApril 7. By April 10, the specieshad arrived in full force, court- ship activity and noisy fighting over nest-cavitiesbeing constantly observable. Did not settledown to nestinguntil considerablylater, however,egg-laying females being taken April 21 and May 3. Usual cry a sharp his-edceor whee-zed-ah. Song a softerchu-eer. Alarm cry a woodpecker-likepuck. Our specimensare more richly colored throughout tlmn two virtually topo- typicalM. 1. swarthi from the SantaRita Mountains,Arizona. MEXICANBOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER, Megarynchus pitangua mexicanus.--Common. Somepairs establishedon territories at time of our arrival, but nest-buildingdid not commenceuntil April 7. Several nests found. These were shallow, made of twigs, thinly lined with finer material, placed in stout crotches,and wholly un- like the bulky, sphericalnests of the Derby Flycatcher (seePlate 5). The senior author was careful to note these differences time after time, and is now convinced that the "very bulky" Megarynchusnest reported from Tamazunchale,San Luis Potosl, was that of Pitangus (Sutton and Burleigh, 1940: 228). Pairs that lived near the Rancho proceededdeliberately with nidification. One nest almostcom- pleted April 13, held its first egg ten days later. The songof this noisy,pugnacious species was a clearlyenunciated cree-kill-rick, repeated sometimesthirty or forty times at a sitting. Familiar call-noteswere a sharp kee-wick,and a rough, petulant kair-r-r-r-r. GIRAUD'SOR SOCIALFLYCATCHER, Myiozetetes similis texensis.--Abundant.Some birds paired at the time of our arrival though the ovary of a female taken March 22 was only slightly enlarged. Nest-building first noted April 4, the nest being high in a tree near the river, close to a partly finished Rose-throatedCotinga's 22 SUTTONXND PETXINCILL, Birds o[ GomezFarias Region I.['Auk Jan.

nest. Like the Cotingas,the flycatcherscontinued building for severaldays, add- ing material even after the eggshad been laid. Nest roughly spherical,with entrance at the side. By the end of April, twelvenests were under observation. Each of thesewas near the nest of someother species--sixnear Rose-throatedCotingas' nests, one near a Boat-billedFlycatcher's, one near a Derby Flycatcher's,and four near Alta Mira Orioles'nests. The flycatcherswere constantlyon the move,fanning their wings even while perching, looking about as if for trouble, and uttering peevish cries,one of which resembledthe cheepof a barnyardchick whosetoe has been peckedl TExas DERBYFLYCATCHER, Pitangus sulphuratus texanus.--Noisy and noticeable, hencethought of as common. By actual countless common than the Boat-billed Flycatcher,there being but two pairs of Pitangus near the Rancho to six pairs of Megarynchus.Mated at time of our arrival. A pair living near us started their nestApril 1, completingit April 14. Egg-layingbegan April 23, and incu- bation started April 29. The birds showedsurprisingly little concern. We fre- quently saw them along the river, a quarter of a mile away,but our approaching the nest rarely incited them to outcry. Perhapsthis was becausethey were accus- tomed to our comingsand goings (Plate 5). Call-note was a sharp geep,sometimes elaborated into geep career!or geep,geep, career! Megarynchushad no call-note resemblingthis, so pairs of either species were easilylocated from criesalone. CRESTEDFLYCATCHER, Myiarchus crinitus.--Identified with certainty but once, March 25, when a female (ovary unenlarged)was taken two miles south of the Rancho in open woodlandalong the foot of the mountain (Sutton). MEXICANCRESTED FLYCATCHER, Myiarchus tyrannulus nelsoni.--Notedfirst April 5, when severalarrived simultaneously,two males (testessomewhat enlarged) being collected that day. Common thereafter, pairs establishingthemselves on terri- tories by April 22 (male with greatly enlarged testestaken). A pair began their nest in a horizontalstovepipe that stuck out from one of the Rancho buildings, April 26. Constructionwork continued until May 1. We could not see into the nest hence did not determine when egg-layingbegan. ASH-THROATEDFLYCATCHER, Myiarchus cinerascenscinerascens.--Identified with certainty but once, March 18, when a female (ovary unenlarged)was taken along the Sabinas (Warner). This specimenagrees with other M. c. cinerascensat hand in having the tenth (outermost)primary equal in length to the fourth. LAWRENCE'SDUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, Myiarchus tuberculifer lawrencei.--Noted March 14-24,during which periodfour specimens(a singlemale, a 'pair,' and a singlefemale) were collected. In none of thesedid we find evidenceof breeding activity. After March 24, recordedas follows: April 8, four in a thicket near the river; April 12, one at foot of mountain; April 26, one near Rancho buildings. OLIVE-SIDEDFLYCATCHER, Nuttallornis borealis.--Male (fat; testesunenlarged) takenApril 27 (Lea). One seenin low tree nearRancho buildings, May 2. EASTERNWOOD PEWEE, Myiochanes virens.--Male (with somewhatenlarged testes) collectedalong the Sabinas,April 25 (Sutton). Singlebirds seen and heard,April 30 and May 1. WESTERNWOOD PEWE•, Myiochanes richardsoni richardsoni.--Singing birds noted repeatedlyin brushywoodlot near the Rancho,May 1-3. Male, with testessome- what enlarged,taken May 1 (Sutton). Vol.59] SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o[ GomezFarias Region 23 1942 .•

SWA•NSON'SPEWEE or ]osdMaria, Myiochanespertinax pertinax.--Noted March 14-28. Two females taken: March 24; March 28. In 1938, a female was taken March 1 and a male March 3 (Suttonand Burleigh,1939: 34). GomezFarias birdsare not quite so dark as topotypical M.p. pertinax,but they are green-backed in comparisonwith freshlyplumaged M.p. pallidiventrisfrom the SantaRita Mountains oi• Arizona. YELLOW-BELLIEDFLYCATCHER, Empidonax fiaviventris.--Not recorded during the courseof our expedition;but Warner took an adult male near the Ranchoon August 13, 1941. LEASTFLYCATCHER, Empidonax minimus.--Noted March 22-May 2. Six speci- menstaken, all in prenuptialmolt. In three of thesethe outer primaryis dis- tinctly shorterthan the sixth (countingfrom the outside);in three it is either shorterthan or equal to the sixth; in none is it "longerthan 6," a charactercon- sideredby Taverner (Birds of WesternCanada, 1926: 251) to be diagnosticof this species.Measurements of males:wing, 60.5 min., 63.5, 64, 57; tail, 54, 53, 57, 50; of females,wing, 59, 59; tail, 51, 50. A living bird examinedMay 2 ap- peared to be in perfect breeding plumage. HAMMOND'SFLYCATCHER, Empidonax hammondi.--A puzzling Empidonax (sex not satisfactorilydetermined) taken March 25 apparentlyis closerto hammondi than to any other species.It is darker on the throat and breastand yellowet on the belly than any of the six rainlinusabove described.Its measurements (wing, 64 min.; tail, 50.5) suggestthat it is probablya female. The outermost primary is shorter than the sixth, counting from the outside. WRIGHT'SFLYCATCHER, Empidonax wrighti.--Specimentaken in Gomez Farias region on March 5, 1938 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 34). Not recordedby us in 1941. BEAROL•SSFLYCATCHER, Camptostoma imberbe imberbe.--Fairly common about the Rancho,where we heard its finely lisped cry occasionally,March 15-April 5; took a male (testesslightly enlarged) April 6; and observedcourtship and nest- building in latter April. April 21, at sun-up,we traced an unfamiliar bird-soundto the top of a thin- leafed tree where,perched on an exposedtwig, a BeardlessFlycatcher was singing as it looked sharply about. The six-syllabledperformance, written down at the time as chew-did-ee,chew-did-see, was repeated over and over, thirty times or more. During the last week in April and early in May such sunrisesinging was noted daily. April 21, a pair were discoveredat work upon their nest twenty-fivefeet up in a big cypressat the river's edge. It was invisible from the ground, being in a festoon of moss (Sutton). ROVGH-W•NGEDSWALLOW, Stelgidopteryx ruficollis serripennis.--Noted throughout our stay, a large flock flying over a sugar-canefield south of Mante, March 12; smaller flocks,or pairs, along the Sabinasthereafter. By April 7, two pairs had establishedthemselves near the Rancho. Here nest-diggingbegan about April 15. Female and male specimenstaken April 11 and 21, respectively. V•OL•T-G•V.• SW•a•LOW,Tachycineta thalassina.--Small flocks noted along the SabinasMarch 18 and April 1. MEX•C,A•Ca•ow, Corvus imparatus.--Abundant at Mante. Fairly commonthree miles south of the Rancho, in farming district. Uncommon about the Rancho proper. Call-note a hollow, wholly unmusicalgar-lic or cow-rah. 24 SUTTONANDPETTINaILL, Birdsof Gomez Farias Region [AukJan.

PALE-BELLIEDBROWN JAY, Psilorhinus toorio palliatus.--Noted in flocksas well as in pairs throughout our stay. Bird seenbuilding nest March 21, but this nest wasnot completed. Twig-carryingobserved almost daily throughoutApril, though only one finishednest was found. This held three eggsApril 21, six eggsApril 23. It was about fifteen feet from the ground at the edge of the forest. The eggswere buffy gray, spotted with brown. The brooding female (?) was sur- prisingly wary. One of our three specimens(male, April 21) is quite as pale on the belly as a topotypicalpalliatus at hand; the other two (females:March 23, April 14) are a trifle darker,though not by any meansdark enoughfor P.m. toorio. GREENJAY, Xanthoura luxuosa luxuosa.--Fairlycommon, especially in brushy woodlandat river-level. Noted in small flocksin latter half of March and through- out April. Neither a male taken March 26 nor a female taken April 10 showed signsof breedingactivity. Two birds encounteredMay 2 acted as if they might have been a pair with nest. Our specimensshow no trace of the pale blue that is evident in some topo- typical X. l. glaucescensat hand. The female is small, however(wing, 111 min.; tail, 127), having almost exactly the averagemeasurements of the sevenfemale specimensof this northernrace handledby Ridgway (wing, 112; tail, 127.5). BLACK-CRESTEDTITMOUSE, Parus atricristatus atricristatus.--Fairly common in wooded country, on the mountain as well as at river-level. Seen in small-bird flocksat late as March 29, though at least one pair was known to be nesting March 27. Female,with slightlyenlarged ovary, taken March 25 (wing,69 min.; tail, 60.5). BERLANDIER'SWREN, Thryothorusludovicianus berlandieri.--Heard infrequently March 19-April 15, alwayson the mountainwest or southwestof the Rancho,and not onceat river-level. Breedingmale takenat about 1500feet, April 15 (Sutton). TAMAULIPASSPOTTED-BREASTED WREN, Thryothorus maculipectusmicrostictus.-- Fairly commonin densetangles, especially along the river. Almost alwaysseen in pairs. Three malestaken: March 26, April 10, April 20. In noneof thesewere the testesgreatly enlarged. WESTERNHOUSE WP. EN, Troglodytesdomesticus parkmani.--House Wrens lived about the Ranchobuildings throughout our stay. Severalof thesesang vigor- ously;some occasionally scolded; and one was seeneven to carry a twig in its bill (Pettingill,April 3). Two specimenscollected (male, April 28, Sutton;and male ?, April 21, Warner) were not in breedingcondition, however. The former of theseis clearlyparkmani; the latter is ratherbuffy on the chestand rulescent on the flanksfor that form,but morelike parkmanithan the "lighter,more gray- ish phase"of T. d. baldwinimentioned by its describer(see Oberholser, H. C., 'A Revisionof North AmericanHouse Wrens,' Ohio Journ. Science, 34: 91, 1934). WHITE-BELLIEDWREN, Nannorchilus leucogaster leucogaster.--Fairly common at river-levelin huipillathickets; almost never seen elsewhere. Observed in pairs at timeof our arrival. Presenceusually made known by the dainty,tinkling song whichwas sometimes sofaint as to suggestthe 'whisper song' of someother species. Testesof malestaken March 25-27 greatlyenlarged. With our fresh breedingseries from the GomezFarias region we now have sixteenNannorchilus leucogaster specimens in the Cornell collection.Two of these,from Valles,San Luis Potosf,should represent the raceN. 1.grisescens; but thereare individualsin our GomezFarlas series just as gray aboveand just as pale-flankedas the Vailesbirds, and we thereforefeel that grisescensmerely Vol.•94• 59'] -• SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region 25 representsthe gray extreme of N. l. leucogaster,and that it probably is to be found in any breedingpopulation of that race. C•¾ON WREN,Catherpes mexicanus.--Found only about cliffs west and south- west of the Rancho. A male, with somewhat enlarged testes,taken by Warner, March 25, is the darkest-backedindividual in a seriesof eight eastern Mexican specimensat hand (three from Hidalgo, four from the Mesa de Chipinque, Nuevo Leon), and we should not hesitate to call it a richly colored example of C. m. mexicanusbut for the fact that it is too small for that race, its wing measuring 62 min., its tail, 50. Our three Hidalgo mexicanus (virtually topo- types)measure: males, wing, 68, 64; tail, 57.5, 54; female, wing, 65; tail, 56. For the presentwe can hardly call the Gomezlearias bird anything but intermediate between mexicanusand albifrons, though such a dispositionunfortunately is basedalmost wholly on size. LONG-BILLEI)THRASHER, Toxostoma longirostre.--Fairlycommon in thickets in low country and on mountain. Occasionalsinging heard in latter March and early half of April. Specimenstaken March 30 to April I0 not in breedingcon- dition. Brilliant, long-continuedsinging from definite song-perchesheard from April 25 on. Our three specimensare intermediatebetween longirostre and sennetti. They are perceptiblyburlier below and more rufescentabove than comparablesennetti from Brownsville,Texas, and Monterrey,Nuevo Leon; but they are short-billed, and their wing and tail measurementsare thoseof sennetti:male, wing, 99 min., tail, 128; females,wing, 95, 94; tail, 124, 122. BLUE MOCKINGBIRD,Melanotis caerulescenscaerulescens.--Male taken along the Sabinasnear the Ranchoby the seniorauthor's party, March 2, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh,1939: 37). Obviouslya rare bird in Tamaulipasfor we find no mention in Ridgwayor Hellmayr of its occurrencenorth of Veracruz. Not seenby us in 1941. Ct,:rBmi),Durnetella carolinensis.--Seen daily throughoutour stay, as many as twelveor thirteenbeing counted March 22, when a waveof transientsmay have passedthrough. Two malesand a femaletaken, March 25-April 21. In none of thesewere the gonadsenlarged. MOCKINGBIRD,Mimus polyglottos.--Rareabout the Rancho proper, being seen therebut once (March19, Pettingill). Commonalong the highwayto the south, especiallybetween the Sabinasand Frio Rivers. One of the few birds seenreg- ularly at the edgeof the extensivepalmetto forests. JALAPAROBIN, Turdus assimilisassimilis.--Recorded frequently, March 14 to April 1, lessfrequently during first half of April. Lastseen (two birds, probably not a pair) April 20. Usually encounteredin heavy woodson mountainside rather than in cypressesalong river. Call-notesa low cluck or chuckand a fine seet, the latter quite unlike any call-noteof Turdus rnigratorius.Male and fe- male (with slightlyenlarged sex organs)taken March 22 and 23, respectively (Sutton). TAMAULIPASGRAY'S ROBIN, Turdus grayi tamaulipensis.--Seenthroughout our stay, infrequentlyfrom March 14 to 21, more commonlythereafter; usually in mixedflocks of smallbirds up to April 11, in pairsthereafter. Male with slightly enlarged testestaken by Warner, March 27. Breeding male (testes13 X 7.5 mm.) taken April 16 (Sutton). Breedingpairs encounteredat river-level as well as on mountain. 26 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o[ GomezFarias Region I.[-Auk Jan.

The song was deliberate, repetitious, meditative rather than declamatory,alto in general effect. BROWN-BACKEDSOLITAIRE, Myadestes obscurus.--Noted March 21-24, at river-level and on mountain. Full songsheard severaltimes during this period. A female wastaken along the Sabinason March 4, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh, 1939:38). RUSSET-BACKEDTHRUSH, Hylocichla ustulata ustulata.--A male specimentaken by the senior author, February 28, 1938, was erroneouslyidentified as H. fuscescens salicicola (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 38). A correctionwas published (Sutton, Auk, 58: 584, 1941). No thrushof the genusHylocichla was recorded in 1941. BLUE-GRAYGNATCATCHER, Polioptila caerulea caerulea.--Gnatcatcherswere seen daily, usually in brushy woodland at river-level, but sometimeshigh on the mountain. Our only specimen,a female taken April 16 (Warner), is very white below; the exposedpart of the outermostrectrices is wholly white; and the measure- ments clearly indicate the familiar easternUnited States,rather than the Mexican, race (wing, 52 mm.; tail, 52). RUBY-CROWNEDKINGLET, Corthylio calendula.--Seenonly once, a single bird in mixed bird flock along the Sabinas,March 14. In 1938, the senior author's party recordedit severaltimes, February26-March 5 (Sutton and Burleigh, 1939: 38). CEDARWAXWING, Bombycilla cedrorum.--Noted March 14-April 15, always in flocks, at river-level. Male taken March 30 (Warner). SOUTHERNSHRIKE, Lanius ludovicianus.--Notedin opencountry between E1 Limon and Mante on our weekly trips for provisions. Not seenat the Rancho. MEXICANPEPPER-SHRIKE, Cyclarhis gujanensis flaviventris.--Female, with unen- largedovary, collected in brushywoodland a mile north of the Rancho,March 19 (Pettingill). Apparentlythis bird has neverbefore been takenin Tamaulipas,so our recordmay well be the northernmostfor the family Cyclarhidae. WHITE~EYEDVIREO, Vireo griseusgriseus.--white-eyed Vireos were recordeddaily, pairson their nest-territoriesfrom April 22 on. Partly finishednest found April 30. Breedingbirds probablyV. g. micrus. A female specimen(ovary unenlarged; wing, 62 mm.) taken by Warner, March 23, belongsto the northern race, V. g. griseus,however. B•LL'SVIREO, Vireo belli belli.--Singlebird seen in roving band of gnatcatchers, March 23. Full songsheard April 23-May 1. A singing male (wing, 56; tail, 44 mm.) collectedat Rancho,April 23 (Sutton),is too brightly coloredfor V. b. medius. BLUE-HgADEDVIREO, Vireo solitarius solitarius.--Noted throughout our stay, usually in roving flocks of small birds. Singing heard first March 27, again April 3, daily from April 6 on. Three molting females taken: March 20, March 23, April I1. These are too brightly coloredfor any westernrace, and their bill- size and wing-length (72, 73, 74.5 mm.) indicate V. s. solitariusrather than V. s. alticola. YELLOW-GREENVm•o, Vireo olivaceusflavoviridis.--Obviously not resident, for we did not encounter it before April 9. That day one bird was seen. During mid-April, it became steadily commoner until, by the 20th, it was abundant. Singing noted from April 9 on. Males taken April 9, 10, 14, 20 and 28, showed steady increasein testis-size,those of the last-namedspecimen measuring about 6 X 7 mm. Scoldingin defenseof nest-territorynoted from April 27 on. EASTERNWARBLING VIREO, Vireo gilvus gilvus.--Singingmale, with somewhat enlargedtestes, taken at Rancho,April 29 (Sutton). Vol.50] SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region 27

BLACKAND WHITE WARBLER, Mniotilta varia.--Notedthroughout our stay at all elevations. Most individuals seen in latter March and first half of April were molting.Migratory wave probably passed through May 2 whenabout thirty birds were seen. TENNZSSEEWARBLER, Vermivora peregrina.--Noted April 26-May 2, principally •n leaflesstrees near the Rancho. Female taken April 27 (Sutton). EASTERNORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, Vermivora celata celata.--Noted March 14- 31 andApril 7-8. Our onlyspecimen, a male taken March 24, is in freshplumage (signsof molt about head). While stronglyyellowish both aboveand below, it is too small for V. c. orestera(wing, 59; tail, 48 min.). NASHVILLEWARBLER, Vermivora ruIicapilla ruIicapilla.--Abundant March 27-31, especiallyon the 29th,when loose, roving flocks were seen on the mountainabove the Sabinas.Less common in early April, one to three birds a day being the rule. CommonApril 29-May3. Our threespecimens (female, March 27; molting male, March 31; male, April 30) all are of the easternrace. SENNm'r'sWARBLER, Compsothlypis pitiayumi nigrilora.--Common. In full song March 14. Pair seencopulating March 20. Nestingpairs notedalong river as well as on mountainup to about2,000 feet. Broodingfemale taken April 30. Certainindividuals seen by Pettlngillin flocksof transientwarblers in latterApril may have been C. americanarather than the presentspedes. EASTERNYELLOW WARBLER,Dendroica aestiva aestiva.--The Yellow Warbler was notedApril 23-May 3, singingmales April 23-28, malesand femalesthereafter. Our threespecimens, all males,were sent to JamesL. Petersfor directcomparison with the type of "Dendroicaaestiva ineditus." Mr. Petersreports them all "too small . . . too green aboveand too heavily streakedbeneath" for that form, identifiesone (May 1) as D. a. amnicola,and expressesthe opinionthat the two others (April 23, April 26) may possiblyrepresent that "involvedpopulation" of the Great Basin slopeof the Sierra Nevada and Cascade.ranges that is con- sideredby van Rossem(1931: 283) to be D. a. morcomi. In view of the fact that breedingbirds from Ithaca,New York, obviouslyvary so inter se,we prefer to call these two birds D. a. aestiva until it becomes clearer to us what the char- actersof morcomireally are. "Dendroicaaestiva ineditus" is a very unsatisfactoryrace. Describedfrom Mata- moros,Tamaulipas, a point at which no Yellow Warbler breeds,and from fall specimenswhich may well representseveral breeding populations, if not actual races,it cannotbe placedgeographically; the guessthat it breeds"in the mountains of westernTamaulipas" is, in our opinion,a whollyunjustifiable one (seeGriscom and Crosby,1926: 29, and Hellmayr, 1935: 367). NEWFOUNDLANDYELLOW WARBLER, Dendroica aestiva amnicola.--Accordlng to Mr. Petersour male specimentaken May 1 (seeabove) is "almostan exactmatch for the type of amnicola"except for the concealedreddish shaft streaksof the crown, a characterwhich is not presentin the type itself but "presentto a lesserdegree" in two other Newfoundland specimensin the M. C. Z. collection. It measures: wing, 62 min.; tail, 47. MAGNOI•AWARBLE•, Dendroica magnolia.--Male with unenlarged testes taken April 2 (Pettingill). MYRTLEWARBLER, Dendroica coronata.--Male seen at dose range near the Sabinas, March 17. Molting, but white of throat obvious (Sutton). AUDUBON'SWARBI.m•, Dendroica auduboni.--Several seen in thicket north of Rancho, March 19 (Pettingill). 28 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o[ GomezFarias Region L[-Auk Jan.

BLACK-THROATEDGREEN WARBLER, Dendroica virens virens.--Seendaily. Most birdsseen in March and first weekof April, moltingabout head. Noticeablymore common and more inclined to singing from April 4 on. Male and two females taken March 16, 27 and 29, respectively. ]BLACKBURNIANWARBLER, Dendroica [usca.--Male taken May 1 in high tree along river (Pettingill). YELLOW-THROATEDWARBLER, Dendroica dominica.--RecordedMarch 13, a singing male in ceiba tree in Mante (Sutton);and March 25, male in cypresstree along the Sabinas (Lea). Color of superciliarystripe not satisfactorilydetermined in either case. CnESTNUT-SmEDWARBLER, Dendroica pensylvanica.--Noted May 1 and 2. Male taken May 1 (Pettingill). BAY-BREASTEDWARBLER, Dendroica castanea.--Male with slightly enlargedtestes taken April 2 (Pettingill). LOUISIANAWATER-TnRuSa, Seiurus motacilla.--One or two seen daily along the Sabinas, March 19-April 11. Recorded once thereafter, April 22. Full song heard but once, March 28. Two males taken: March 28 (Lea); April 4 (Pettingill). MACGILLIVRAY'SWARBLER, Oporornis tolmiei.--Male seen near Rancho, April 14, 18, and 19. Male (fat; testesslightly enlarged)taken May 1 (Pettingill). Several seen and female taken, May 2 (Pettingill). Two males seen in thickets a mile or so north of Rancho, May 3. No songsheard. YELLOW-TmOAT,Geothlypis trichas.--Recorded March 21 to April 30, chiefly about ditchesalong highway near E1 Limon and Mante, lessfrequently about the Rancho. A male (no evidenceof molt; testesslightly enlarged) taken April 30 by Sutton, belongsto the race at presentknown as G.t. occidentalis. GROUND-CHAT,Chamaethlypis poliocephala.--Single bird noted April 27-28, in Napier grassbetween Rancho buildingsand river (Sutton). YELLOW-BREaSTEDCHAT, lcteria virens virens.--Chatswere seen infrequendy, in thickets,usually not far from the river. Noticeablycommoner from April 27 on. Singingnoted May 2. No molting birds observed. Two specimensof the eastern race were taken, a female,April 13 (Warner), and a male, May 2 (Pettingill). The former is strikinglysmall (wing, 70 min.; tail, 67; culmen, 13.1; tarsus,23.2), the latter average (wing, 75 min.; tail, 73). LONG-TAILEDCHAT, lcteria virens auricollis.--A male chat taken by Pettingill March 23 belongsto this westernrace. Though small-billed (culmen, 13 min.) its wing measures77, its tail 86. WILSON'SWARBLER, Wilsonia pusilla.--Recorded in brushywoodland at river-level, from four to twenty individuals daily. No molting birds observed. FAN-TAILEDWARBLER, Euthlypis lachrymosa lachrymosa.--Found only in tanglesof vines and shrubberyon steep,rocky slopes. Female with unenlargedovary taken March 29 (Pettingill). Two males with much enlarged testes taken April 6 (Sutton). Singingmales and mated pairs noted from April 15 on. Song bright and varied,rather like that of Basileuterusculicivorus but louder, and endingon a down-strokerather than an up-stroke. BRASHER'SWAmaLER, Basileuterus culicivorus brasheri.--Fairly common on moun- tain west of Rancho, especiallyin shadedhuipilla thicketsnear base;not often encounteredelsewhere. Pairs noted throughout our stay, full songsand alarm notes (indicating nest-territories)being heard from March 14 on. Song sug- gestiveof Chestnut-sidedWarbler's: wich-y, chi-pit, peechy. Alarm-notea feeble AUK, VoL. 59 l•LATE 6

NEST OF I•IDGWAY'S ARREMONOPS

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nN*ESTß OF ROSE-THROATED COTINGA Vol.59• SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region 29 194• a disyllable:chi-chit. Our two specimens(males, March 28, Pettingill) show only a trace of rufous in the crown patch. HOUSE SPARROW,Passer domesticus.--Common at Mante and E1 Limon, and in villagesalong the main highway. Not seen at the Rancho proper nor in Gomez Farias (Lea). P•vosT's C^cIQUE,Amblycercus holosericeus holosericeus.--Noted infrequently March 24-May 3, alwaysnear ground, in densetangles along the river. Call-note most frequentlyheard, a low bleat. April 21, Pettingill saw three, one of which sang. Mated pair collectedMay 3 (Sutton). I•D-EYED COWBIRD,Tangavius aeneusaeneus.--Noted in mixed flocksof black- birds that frequentedthe streetsand roostedin ornamentaltrees in the plaza at Mante,March 11-13. Recordedoften at the Rancho,usually in clumpsof bamboo near the river. Male with somewhatenlarged testes taken April 3 (Sutton). Dis- playing of malesobserved from April 11 on. Nest-huntingfemale seenslipping through undergrowth,April 27. CowB•em,Molothrus ater.--Commonin Mante March 11-13. Individuals closely observedappeared to be small, hence were thought to be M. a. obscurus.Our only specimen,a solitarymale taken at the Rancho,April 29 (Sutton),proves to be of the stubby-billedeastern race, however (wing, 109; tail, 76; culmen, 16). MESQUITEGREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, Cassidix mexicanus prosopidicola.--Common. Most birds seen March 14-April 10, were flying over, though four males per- formedconstantly in palmettosnear the Rancho. Ovary of female taken April 11 considerablyenlarged. Femalesseen building nest in cypresstree at river's edge,April 14. The colonyhere numberedabout forty birds. Our femalespeci- men (wing, 151 mm.; tail, 150; culmen, 34) is darker below than topotypical prosopidicolaat hand. Females from the Tamesi River, in extreme southern Tamaulipas,and from Tamazunchale,San Luis Potosi,are still darker, indicating that we may expectto find gradualdeepening of coloras we approachVeracruz, the restrictedtype localityof C. m. mexicanus. BREWER'SBLACKBIRD, Euphagus cyanocephalus.--Flocksof middle-sized black- birds seenflying over the Ranchoduring latter March probablywere of this species. Identified with certainty only at Mante, however, where several males were seen walking about the streets with mixed flocks of Cowbirds, March 12 and 13. Bu•ocK'S OrioLE, lcterus bullocki.--Middle-sized, dull-colored orioles were seen near the Ranchoseveral times, April 16-May 2. Two specimens(female, April 16, Warner; subadultmale, April 30, Sutton)prove to be bullocki,both being decidedlygray-backed, light-bellied, and pale in generalappearance. ORCHXgDOriOLE, Icterus spurius.--Adult and subadult male taken from com- panyof threealong river, April 28 (Sutton).Adult male noted April 29 (Pettingill). BLACK-nr.•EDOraota•, Icterus graduacauda graduacauda.--Seen frequently in latter March in small-birdflocks. First signof pairingnoted April 3. Half- finishednest found April 19, twelvefeet from groundtoward end of drooping boughat edgeof clearing.Female very secretive while gatheringpalmetto fibers, but boldin defenseof her nestwhen Brown Jays approached. Six pairsthought to be nesting near Rancho May 1. A•T^ Mreo, ORIot.•, lcterus gularis tamaulipensis.--Commonat river-level and, during latter March before nest-buildingstarted, at higher elevations,in mixed bird flocks.Definite pairs first observedApril 1. First nest (high in cypress alongriver) foundApril 3. Partly finishednests found almost daily thereafter, 30 SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds of GomezFarias Region I.I'Auk Jan. invariablyin exposedsituations, often in leaflesstrees. Nest examinedMay 2 held one fresh egg (Lea). SENNETr'sHOODED ORXOLE, Icterus cucullatus sennetti.--A pale, probablysubadult femaleoriole takenby Lea, May 1, is so short-wingedand -tailed that, evenallow- ing for wear,we can hardlycall it anythingbut I. c. sennetti(wing, 76 mm.; tail, 82). Five femalesennetti handled by Ridgwayaveraged: wing, 79.5; tail, 86.4. HOODEDOR•OLZ, Icterus cucullatuscucullatus.--Noted daily sipping nectar from blossoms,March 14-29. Appearedto be mated during this period. Femaleseen carryingnest-material, April 1. Completednest found under palmetto leaf April 6. Nest at Rancho built in ten days, the female doing the work. Male taken at Ranchoby seniorauthor, March 5, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh,1939: 42). RED-WXNGEDBLACKS•RD, Agelaius phoeniceus.--Seen weekly in vicinity of Mante and E1 Limon, but not at Rancho. EASTERNMEADOWLARK, Sturnella magna.--Noted in open country about Mante and E1 Limon, songsbeing invariablythose of magnarather than of neglecta. Not recordedat the Rancho in 1941, though seen there (speciesuncertain) in 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh, 1939:42). LESSON'SEUPHONIA, Tanagra affinis.--Seen daily, usually about clumps of mistletoe. Females with well-defined brood-patchescollected March 20 and 22. Young just out of nest seenMarch 22. Nest with youngfound March 27. Noisy young seen with parentsfrom March 28 on. Male in first stagesof postjuvenal molt taken April 30. Birds seengathering nest-materialas late as April 14. One call-noteof the adult, a high see-see-see,dewd-see, was usuallygiven from the very top of a tree. BONAPARTE'SEUPHONIA, Tanagra lauta lauta.--Small flocks (probably family groups)seen March 21-April 13, usuallyin thinly leavedtrees not far from the ground. Subadultmales, with olive-greenbacks and somewhat-enlargedtestes, taken March 21 and 24 (Pettingill). Adult male in high plumage taken April 13 (Warner). Usualcall-notes suggested certain flock-calls of the Ghickadee,Penthestes atricapillus. SUMM• TANAG•, Piranga rubra rubra.--Seeninfrequently, April 5-May 2. Male in high plumage (testessomewhat enlarged) taken April 5. Subadultmale, with sprinklingof red on face, throat, crown and back, taken April 13. Sub- adult male, with foreparts largely rose-red, taken April 17. These measure, respectively,wing, 100, 94, 94 mm.; tail, 78, 76, 79. The first is large enough for P. r. cooperi, but altogether too dark a red both above and below for that race. A male in the Cornell Universitycollection (Langtry, ¾alverde County, Texas,April 26, 1901)is preciselythe samesort of bird, P. r. cooperiin size (wing, 100; tail, 80), but P. r. rubra in color. WmTg-W•NG•UTANAeER, Piranga leucopteraleucoptera.--Brightly plumaged male taken along foot of mountain one mile southwestof Rancho, March 4, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh, 1939:43). Not seenin 1941. Wgsa•_aNTANAeER, Piranga ludoviciana.--Recordedrepeatedly at all elevations. Mostbirds seenin latter March appearedto be femalesor subadultmales. Thirty birds, in loose flock, seen on mountain above river, March 29. Call-note heard that day a Bobolink-likewit or weet. Malesin high plumagenoted in latter part of April and early May. Male in mixed plumagetaken in Rio Frio district,April 18 (Warner). LAFRESNAYE'STANAeER, Piranga bidentatasanguinolenta.--Probably fairly com- mon in deeperwoodlands though not often seen. Subadultmale, with slightly VoL!•9'] SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds oJ Gomez Farias Region 3 1 •942 a enlargedtestes, taken on mountain, March 28 (Pettingill). Adult male (testes about 4 X 5 min.) taken March 29 (Sutton). Subadultmale with much enlarged testestaken in Rio Frio district,April 5 (Warner). Songinstantly recognizable as a tanager's,somewhat husky, though not especiallylow in pitch nor drawled. Call-note: per-dich-er. BLACK-HEADEDSALTATOR, Saltator atriceps atriceps.--Singlebird seen March 15. One or two birds noted daily, March 16-19. Flock of seven seen March 20. Fairly commonthereafter, especially in bamboo tanglesnear the river. Ovaries of femalestaken March 20-April 4 only slightlyenlarged. Males takenApril 14-22, had greatlyenlarged testes (16 X 8 min.). Call-notesloud and clearlyenunciated: chuck, chu-eep,chu-eek, and combinationsof these,with a harsh chur-r-r-r at end. Flight song an elaborate outpouring of these same sounds,given above tree-tops with wings and tail flopping. This bird must be migratory. We did not see it before March 15, nor did the seniorauthor encounterit during his visit in early March of 1938. It is our belief that the SabinasValley marks about the northern limit of its range. CRIMSON-COLLAREDGROSBEAK, Rhodothraupis celaeno.--Seendaily. Often en- counteredin clumpsof the shrubbynightshade, Solanum verbasci[oliurn, on the leavesof which it regularlyfed. Singingfirst heard March 29. Songrich and varied, thoughless fluid than a Rose-breastedGrosbeak's. Flight songfrequently observed.Most characteristiccall-note a high, thin squeal,not unlike that of the Broad-wingedHawk, Buteo platypterus. In one of our adult male specimens(April 11) all the tertlals,several proximal greatercoverts, and one primary of the right wing are green-edged. GRAY

RIDGWAY'SARREMONOPS, Arremonops rufivirgatus ridgwayi.--Full songs heard from March 14 on. Pairs seengoing about togetherfrom March 22 on. Bird seen with nest-materialin bill, April 8. Males taken April 12 and 14 had greatly enlargedtestes. Nest with somewhatincubated, pure-white eggs found in huipilla thicketApril 26 (seePlate 6). Thesewere still unhatchedon May 3. The above-mentionedmale specimensare obviouslytoo short-tailedand large- billed for .4. r. rufivirgatus. One is more buffy on the chestand sides,heavier- billed, and more olive on the back than the other, but both compare favorably with the type of ridgwayi. They measure:wing, 64, 61 ram.; tail, 63, 61; ex- posedculmen, 14.5, 13. WEST•N GRASSHOPPERSPARROW, .4mmodramus savannarum perpallidus.--What we took to be GrasshopperSparrows were seen in a field north of the Rancho buildings several times during mid- and latter April. A female taken there by Sutton,April 29, has beenidentified as perpallidus, though its measurements(wing, 60.5 mm.; tail, 45) fall between thoseof easternand western United Statesbirds; its bill is only a little more slender than that of a female .4. s. pratensisin first- winter plumage taken at Ithaca, New York, October 23, 1938 (Cornell University collectionno. 10170); and the darknessof its back indicates an approach to pratensis. WESTERNVESPER SPARROW, Pooecetes gramineus confinis.--One to six birds noted in opener country about Rancho,April 16-May 2. Male of presentrace (wing, 83 mm.; tail, 67) in worn plumagetaken April 16 (Warner). WESTERNLA•K SPAggOW,Chondestes grammacus strigatus.--Noted daily near Rancho,April 3-May 2, in flocksof forty to sixty individuals. The only specimen taken, a female (April 3, Pettingill), is considerablyworn, but the back-streaking is obviouslynarrow. WESTERNCHIPPING SPARROW, Spizella passerina arizonae.--Noted infrequently, March 12-May 2. Male in winter plumage (molting slightly about head) taken from flock of six, March 24 (Warner). This specimenmeasures: wing, 73 ram.; tail, 62. CLAY-COLOREDSPAP, XOW, Spizella pallida.--Seendaily in small flocksMarch 19- May 3, in weed-grownfields. Two malestaken by Pettingill(March 23, April 16) were molting about the head. EASTERNLINCOLN'S SP•a•OW, Melospiza lincolni lincolni.--The Lincoln's Sparrow is probablya fairly commonwinter bird of the region thoughwe recordedit only infrequently.Two of three specimenstaken in 1941 (female,March 21; female, May 1) have been identified by Dr. Alden H. Miller as M. l. lincolni. They measure:wing, 59.5, 59; tail, 59, 55 mm. ROCKYMOUNTAIN LINCOLN'S SPARROW, Melospiza lincolni alticola.--Dr. Miller, who has comparedall our GomezFarias Lincoln's Sparrows directly with the type of M. l. alticola, considersa female taken there by Burleigh on March 1, 1938 (Suttonand Burleigh, 1939:46) and a male (?) taken by Lea April II, 1941, to be of this race. They measure,respectively: wing, 64.5, 64; tail, 59, 65 mm. 3Z• SUTTONAND PETTINGILL, Birds o I GomezFarias Region I.[-Auk Jan.

LITERATURE CITED BENT, ARTHUR CLEVELAND 1940. Life historiesof North American cuckoos,goatsuckers, hummingbirds, and their allies. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., no. 176: 1-506. GRISCOM, LUDLOW, AND CROSBY,MAUNSELL S. 1926. Birds of the Brownsvilleregion, southernTexas. Auk, 43:18-,$6 (part). HELLMAYR, CHARLES E. 1935. Catalogue of birds of the Americas. Pt. 8. Zool. SeriesField Min. Nat. Hist., publ. 34?: 1-541. PAGEsJOHN L. 1929. The climate of Mexico. Monthly Weather Review, U.S. Dept. Agricul- ture, Weather Bureau, Supplement no. 33: 11-29. PETERS,JAM•S L• 1931. Check-list of birds of the world, 1: 1-345. 1940. The same, 4: 1-291. PHILLIPS,JoltN C. 1911. A year'scollecting in the State of Tamaulipas,Mexico. Auk, 28: 67-89. RICHMOND, CHARLES Wo 1896. Partial list of birds collectedat Alta Mira, Mexico,by Mr. Frank B. Armstrong. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 18: 627-632. SMITH, HOBART M. 1940. An analysisof the bioticprovinces of Mexico,as indicatedby the dis- tribution of the lizards of the genus$½elopor•. Anales de la Escuela Nacionalde CienciasBiologicas [of Mexico],2:95-102 (with map). SUTTON, GEORGEMIKSCH, AND BURLEIGH,THOMAS D. 1939. A list of birds observedon the 1938Semple Expedition to northeastern Mexico. LouisianaState Univ. Mus. of Zool., Occas.Paper no. 3: 1-46. 1940. Birds of Tamazunchale, San Luis Potos/. Wilson Bull., 52: 221-233. VANROSSEM, ADRIAAN J. 1931. Report on a collection of land birds from Sonora, Mexico. Tram. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 6: 239-303. Cornell University,Ithaca, New Yorh and CarletonCollege, Northfield, Minnesota