BIRDS OF SOUTHERN VERACRUZ — WETMOBE 251 



Family RECURVIROSTRIDAE 



HIMANTOPUS MEXICANUS (Muller) : Black-necked Stilt 



Charadrius Mexicanus P. L. S. Muller, Natursystem, Suppl., 1776, p. 117 (Mex- 

 ico). 



Carriker found a few around a large pond near Tlacotalpam, where 

 he collected a female on February 6. 



Family LARIDAE 



LARUS ARGENTATUS SMITHSONIANUS Coues: American Herring Gull 



Larus Smithsonian us Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1862, p. 296 

 (eastern and western coasts of North America). 



In 1939 I saw several in first and second year plumage at Veracruz 

 city, March 4. They were recorded at Alvarado, March 5 and April 16, 

 and over the Rio Papaloapan at Tlacotalpam on March 6. 



LARUS ATRICILLA Linnaeus: Laughing Gull 



Larus Atricilla Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 175S, p. 136 (Bahamas). 



In 1939 I recorded this gull near Veracruz on March 4, at Tlacotal- 

 pam on March 5, and near Alvarado on April 16. 



Carriker shot a female in winter dress at Tlacotalpam on May 17, 

 1940. 



THALASSEUS MAXIMUS MAXIMUS (Boddaert) : Royal Tern 



Sterna maxima Boddaert, Table des planches enlumineez, 1783, p. 58 (Cayenne). 

 Seen at Veracruz, March 4, and at Alvarado, April 16, 1939. 



Family COLUMBIDAE 



COLUMBA FLAVIROSTRIS FLAVIROSTRIS Wagler 



Columba flavirostris Wagler, Isis von Oken, 1831, col. 519 (state of Veracruz, 

 Mexico). 



The torcaza, as this dove was called locally, was common in areas 

 of woodland near Tres Zapotes and is represented by specimens taken 

 on March 10 and April 1, 1939. In 1940 Carriker shot one on Feb- 

 ruary 10 at El Conejo on the coast south of Alvarado, and another at 

 Hueyapa on March 8. They were seen regularly flying across the 

 sky, and called daily from the forest. Their call is a guttural coo coo 

 coo-oo coo, followed by a growling sound. On April 1 I caught sight 

 of two crowding each other on a branch and shot them, expecting to 

 secure a pair. It turned out that the two were males and that they 



