1C2 Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. \!y^y 



Mountains north of the pass, but, convinced that thej must be there, ISIr. 

 Bailey, on leaving an assistant, McClure Surber, to collect in the region 

 during the winter months, gave him special instructions to hunt for 

 ptarmigan. The last of January Mr. Surber made a two days' snbwshoe 

 trip around the high peaks in the neighborhood of Gold Hill, where the 

 snow had thawed and frozen until, as he said, "the surface crust was 

 more slippery than ice." Here he finally discovered a flock of ptarmigan. 

 One of the birds separated itself from the flock and led him up near the 

 top of the peak, to about 12,500 feet he thought, when it lit within 

 shooting distance. In describing it Mr. Surber says, "I was standing 

 on an ice-covered boulder and just as I got a bead on it one of my feet 

 slipped and in trying to save myself I dropped my gun. For a wonder 

 the bird did n't fly, but my gun was about thirty feet below me and I 

 didn't dare wait to get it. So pulling my revolver I fired and killed the 

 ptarmigan." The specimen which, as Mr. Surber remarks, is a "good one 

 in spite of the bullet," is a male in beautiful winter plumage and is now 

 in the Biological Survey collection substantiating the previously vague 

 reports of ptarmigan in New Mexico. 



Meleagris gallopavo merriami. Merriam Turkey. — For Colorado, 

 Mr. Drew gives the breeding range of the turkey as 7000 feet, but in Mr. 

 Mitchell's list of the birds of San Miguel County, New Mexico, he states 

 that they are "common from 8000 feet to timberline." In the Pecos 

 Mountains we were told that they were still common at 11,000 feet, but 

 by the time we reached that altitude, as the game warden explained, they 

 were probably on their way down the mountains. At all events, only 

 four were seen by our party. Mr. Vilas, a cattleman of the country, told 

 us that in the fall they go down to the nut pine and juniper mesas in the 

 Glorieta region and, gathering at the few springs that furnish drinking 

 places, are shot by wagon loads by the Mexicans. The only specimen we 

 obtained was taken July 27 at over 11,000 feet. Its crop and gizzard held 

 mainly grasshoppers and crickets, but also grass seed, mariposa lily buds, 

 and strawberries, while its gizzard contained in addition a few beetles. 



Columba fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. — Mr. Henshaw found the 

 pigeons feeding on elderberries and acorns, but in the scarcity of acorns 

 last summer there were few pigeons. Less than a dozen were seen by us 

 in the mountains, though it must be said that we did not do much work 

 in their section. All but two of those seen were at about 10,000 feet on 

 the upper edge of the Transition zone, the others being at 11,400 feet, 

 evidently only flying over. The only specimen secured had nothing but 

 insects, mainly grasshoppers, in its gizzard. 



Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. — The unmistakable voices of 

 Mourning Doves were heard at Glorieta on Jul^- 8. 



Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. — Mr. Henshaw reported the Vul- 

 ture as common, but we saw onh' a few of the birds, and most of these at 

 11,000 feet, when the mammalogists were running a line of meat-baited 

 traps. 



