Vol 19 ^^ :I11 ] Bailey, Notes on Birds of Western Mexico. 383 



long to kill any small young that the parents left unsheltered for even a 

 few moments. The majority of these birds were very tame, allowing one 

 to approach within a few feet of them. 



Great numbers of dead birds, hanging from the bushes by wings, feet 

 or heads, were scattered over the island, the cause of which I discovered 

 when flushing one from its nest. Their short legs and extremely long 

 wings make it a hard matter for the birds to rise from their nests, especially 

 so when the nest is placed on the top of the bushes, and their wings come 

 in contact with other branches in their effort to rise. A number of times 

 as I watched them in their attempts to alight on or depart from their 

 nest, I saw them become entangled in the foliage, from which position they 

 were unable to rise. The odor from the dead birds, with that given out 

 by the birds themselves, was far from agreeable. 



I found that the large eggs of these birds required delicate handling in 

 blowing, numbers of them being broken while using air pressure that any 

 small egg the size of a robin's would stand. 



14. Nettion carolinensis. Green-winged Teal. — I saw two pairs 

 of this duck in the arroyo while at Tepic, and the local sportsmen informed 

 me this bird was very common there earlier in the season, at this time 

 (March 30) nearly all having migrated north. 



15. Spatula clypeata. Shoveller. — A flock of four were seen 

 at San Bias. 



16. Aythya affinis. Lesser Scaup Duck. — A flock of birds that 

 I took to be this species were seen on both visits to Mazatlan, where they 

 were very tame and nearly always in the wake of small vessels anchored in 

 the inner harbor. A few were also seen in the estero at San Bias. 



17. Guara alba. White Ibis. — Very common around the estero 

 at San Bias, and also on the lagoon back of the town. 



18. Plegadis guarauna. White-faced Glossy Ibis. — Numbers 

 were shot by my friend Mr. Beermaker, and also by the local Doctor, the 

 latter being about the only ardent sportsman in that section. 



19. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — A few pairs were seen 

 fishing along the shore in front of the banana ranch, and young birds 

 were brought in by the crew while we were on Isabella Island. I am sure 

 they bred there, as I also saw old birds fishing at the northern end of the 

 island. None were seen while at the Tres Marias Islands. 



20. Herodias egretta. American Egret. — It must have been this 

 bird about which the natives at San Bias had so much to say, stating that 

 its plumes sold for $40 gold an ounce. They told me how some men from 

 San Francisco had come down for plumes, and meeting with much success 

 one season, returned the next season prepared to slaughter eveiy one in 

 the country. After building an ark, in which they worked the esteros 

 for some weeks, they were stopped by the Mexican authorities and their 

 stock confiscated. While I did not take any specimens myself, I am con- 

 fident that the bird described by the natives was this species. 



21. Fulica americana. American Coot. — Numbers of these birds 



