° 1919 J Burleigh, Bird-life in Southwestern France. 497 



BIRD LIFE IN SOUTHWESTERN FRANCE. 



BY THOMAS D. BURLEIGH. 



These notes were taken during 1918, while I was serving in 

 France with the American Expeditionary Force. I was then with 

 the 10th Engineers, a forestry regiment that was engaged in cutting 

 pilings, ties, and lumber of various dimensions. We were located 

 in the Department of Landes during our entire period of foreign 

 service, so I had an opportunity to make a detailed study of the 

 bird life in this part of France. Our work necessarily kept us busy 

 for six days out of the week, but our Sundays were usually free, 

 and, being in the woods as we were, there was an opportunity of 

 picking up odd notes even while at work. From the first of Febru- 

 ary until the 14th of September, and again for a week in December, 

 from the 19th to the 26th, I was at Ponteux, while from the 14th 

 of September to the 19th of December I was at Sore. 



Ponteux is a small town in the extreme southwestern part of 

 France. The surrounding country is, with the exception of 

 occasionally scattered sand dunes, level and largely covered with 

 long stretches of maritime pine. Small streams are numerous, and 

 bordered here and there with alders and a sprinkling of oaks. 

 In places the water has spread out and formed tangled alder 

 swamps. Such cultivated land as there is lies about the town and 

 the scattered farms. Ten kilometers west of Ponteux lies a large 

 lake, Etang Aureilhan, formed by the damming up of a large 

 creek, which flows from here to the ocean, a distance of eight 

 kilometers. 



Sore is fifty kilometers northeast of Ponteux. Here the country 

 is not different from that about the latter town, although there is 

 even less cultivated land and no large bodies of water within many 

 miles. The Seyre River flows through the town, but is a com- 

 paratively small stream. 



The following are the birds observed, with notes on their actions, 

 migration, and nesting habits. Few of them are found in America, 

 but many are so similar to our species, and some of them so differ- 

 ent, that it was thought that my list would be of general interest 

 to the readers of ' The Auk.' 



