May 1888.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



69 



had found their nost with four fresli eggs. 

 Anothei- Thrasher, probably Lc Contes, was 

 seen near Posa. the comnion Cactus VVren was 

 often seen, the Phainopepla was seen oneo or 

 twice, Ganibel's Quail was not rare, a few West- 

 ern (liiiiiiing Sparrows and Mocking Birds at 

 various places along the line, and near (Juero- 

 babi, we had tlic good fortune to come upon a 

 family of Elf Owls (Min-atheiie whitneiji). 



There were six of them just able to fly pretty 

 well, perched upon a long biancli of a large 

 cactus, and a curious family tht'y were. They 

 were quite unsuspicious and allowed a (piilc 

 near approach. After following them about 

 some little time, a pair was secured and the 

 others hurried away to a distant cactus. 



A few specimens of the Gila Wooilpccker 

 (Mchinerpes nropiKiidlis). were seen, which had 

 with great trouble excavated their nests in 

 magiiiticent specimens of the Giant Cactus, but 

 they were more numerous further down the 

 road. 



After remaining Friday night at Carbo, we 

 made the run to Guaymas, 135 miles from Car- 

 bo, by six o'clock Saturday evening. Several 

 hawks and other birds were seen, but we could 

 not feel sure of their species. Perhaps the 

 most interesting siglit in tiie biid line we saw 

 on this day, was the great number of holes 

 which the Gila Woodpecker had dug in the 

 telegraph poles. Nearly every pole from Her- 

 mosillo to Guaymas (ninety miles), was more 

 or less mutilated by these birds, and in many 

 cases as many as six to eight large deep holes 

 were seen in a single pole. These holes are 

 evidently excavated for nests, the site being 

 better and safer no doubt than that aflbrded by 

 the low trees or cactus of the country. AVe 

 were told bj' otficials of the road that many 

 telegraph poles are so completely eaten away 

 by this bird, that they frecjuently break ami 

 have to be replaced. 



During our stay at Guaymas, we had very 

 unfavorable opportunities for observation of 

 the birds. The object of our visit was to make 

 a collection of the fishes of this region of the 

 Gulf. The time of year was the hottest season 

 for Guaymas, which is putting it pretty strong, 

 for the records show that Guaymas and the re- 

 mainder of the West Mexican Coast, is one of 

 the hottest regions of the world during July 

 and August. The excessive heat prevented any 

 serious work out of doors in the day time, con- 

 sequently, our collection of birds had to be 

 done almost wholly at night, while the caring 

 for them and our eating and sleeping occupied 

 the dav. Thus our information of the birds of 



Guaymas is scant, confined to those we saw- 

 about the city, or those we met going to and 

 from our fishing grounds. Tin? city is ciowded 

 into the narrow space of a stiip of land that lies 

 between high mountains and the Hay of Guay- 

 nni, and consists of about ten thousand iidiab- 

 itants, and is in appearance as completely for- 

 eign as .my i)lace in the world. The rough vol- 

 canic mountains which surround it, are hot and 

 almost bairen of vegetation, and certainly pos- 

 sess little to Invite the birds. 



Not far from ttie house in which we had our 

 room was an old cemetery, and beycuiil that 

 was a place where otl'al from I he city was 

 thrown. At this place every morning, there 

 fought together in the most spirited manner 

 over their breakfast, three species of vultuies. 

 The Turkey Vulture was the most abundant, 

 several IJlack Vultures, and a third species 

 which we could not make out. As we were not 

 permitted to shoot near the city, we failed to 

 secure specimens of it, but we still hope to ob- 

 tain some. 



On the Plaza one morning we saw an Inca 

 Dove, and in a cage in the Hotel Cfismopolitan, 

 were a dozen semi-tamed Ganibel Qiuiils. 



Near the depot. House Fir.ches helped wel- 

 come ttie (sometimes) daily train, from the land 

 of " washouts." Frequently a Fish Hawk, im- 

 proved the appearance of a rocky peninsula 

 near by, by perching on some of its pinnacles, 

 and a Mocking Bird was seen at Long Bridge 

 above the city. 



Two or three Gila Woodpeckers occasionally 

 tried to play and sing an accompaniment on a 

 huge organ-pipe cactus near our fisherman's 

 house, but the whole performance was of a 

 piece with the cactus and the volcanic rocks, 

 terribly staccato. Cactus Wrens were not rare, 

 frequently crows passed over, and in the even- 

 ing swallows explored the Bay. These land 

 birds deserve this especial mention for ventur- 

 ing so far and so much, apparently for no other 

 purpose than to get a view of the superheated 

 scenery of Guaymas. One evening, as we were 

 crossing to our night's collecting grounds, 

 three or four Man-o'-War Birds {Frer/ata aqil- 

 Za), were seen circling high in air on graceful 

 wing, but we hoped in cooler strata, and we 

 almost felt willing to do as they have about 

 done, traded a pair of legs for a pair of the best 

 of wings. 



But the most abundant bird about Guaymas 

 in July is certainly the Brown Pelican Pclkanus 

 fuscus) or Alcatraz of the Spaniards. Thou- 

 sands were seen every evening wending their 

 way across the bay towards some islands where 



