ZZb Wetmore, Birds of Lake Burford, N. Mex. [April 



secured drinking water. The cat-tail (Typha latifolia) was fairly 

 common. A black and a gray willow grew at intervals along the 

 lake shore, and both narrow-leaved and broad-leaved cottonwoods 

 (Populvs angustifolia and P. wislizeni) were found in small num- 

 bers (Plate IX, fig. 1). At a few points wild currant (Ribes ine- 

 brious and R. aureum), choke cherry (Padns mclanocarpa) and 

 service-berry (Amelanchier) were abundant in the hills and came 

 down above the shore of the lake on protected north slopes. The 

 yellow pine (Pinus brachyptera) grew in open forests over the higher 

 hills (Plate IX, fig. 2) interspersed with pinyons and cedars 

 which came down over the lower slopes. Douglas fir was found 

 in some of the gulches and there were many groves of a small oak 

 in valleys in the hills. 



There were no fish of any species in the lake. The axolotl (Amby- 

 stoma) was abundant and was the source of food of mergansers 

 and herons. The Mexican name of this curious creature was in 

 common use, but was usually corrupted by Americans to "water 

 loty." These creatures were observed lying on aquatic growth a 

 foot or so beneath the surface, basking in the sun's rays, and at my 

 approach turned with a quick wriggle and disappeared in the 

 murky water below. In feeding on Chironomids resting on the 

 surface film, these water dogs broke at the surface as fish might, 

 and at such times seemed surprisingly active for creatures ordi- 

 narily considered so sluggish. During June they began to die in 

 considerable numbers for no apparent reason (save perhaps that 

 they had lived their allotted span of life) and were found floating 

 on the surface or washed up along the shore. For a period the 

 Night-Herons, acting as scavengers, disposed of them as they ap- 

 peared, but later so many of the bodies were present that an efflu- 

 vium arose from them in early morning, after the air had lain quiet 

 over the surface of the lake during the night. 



Along low marshy shores frogs (Ran a pipiens) were fairly com- 

 mon while in spring holes back of the lake these were abundant. 



Among mammals coyotes were fairly common, signs of an oc- 

 casional badger, wild cat or skunk were found, porcupines were 

 seen in the hills and deer were fairly commom. The track of a 

 wolf was observed on one occasion. 



