1911 J Phillips, Birds of Tamaulipas, Mexico. 67 



A YEARS' COLLECTING IN THE STATE OF 

 TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO. 



BY JOHN C. PHILLIPS. 



On the first of August, 1908, the well-known collector, Mr. 

 Frank B. Armstrong, began work in the State of Tamaulipas, 

 Mexico, collecting the series of birds which is listed below. The 

 work was continued for one year. 



The localities visited ranged from Matamoros, at the northeast 

 extremity of the State, to Altamira in the extreme south. Most 

 of the time, however, was spent in the hill region west and north 

 of Ciudad Victoria in the valleys of the Sierra Madre mountains, 

 which here form the western boundary of the State of Tamaulipas, 

 and along the river valleys east of the mountains. It may be well 

 to mention here the general character of the stations represented 

 by the collection, beginning with Matamoros. 



The country about Matamoros is the level valley bottom of 

 the Rio Grande, where the general vegetation is chaparal, bunch 

 cactus and mesquite, at a level of only eighty feet above the sea. 

 San Fernando, some seventy miles south on the River Presos, 

 is also near the coast, and is surrounded by a country very much 

 like that of the Rio Grande Valley, and of low elevation. These 

 regions were visited in August, October, December and February. 



The intermediate region embraces the several localities lying 

 north and west of Ciudad Victoria. It can be roughly divided 

 into a mountain region: Santa Leonor, and the hill settlements of 

 Realito, Carricitos, Montelunga, Galindo, Rampahuila, Portrero, 

 Guiaves; and a plain region, embracing the following river locali- 

 ties: Santa Engracia, Caballeros, Cuidad Victoria, Martinez and 

 La Cruz. Both of these regions were visited in autumn, September 

 and October; and again in March, April, May, June and July. 

 The following description of the two regions is taken from Mr. 

 Armstrong's letters: 



" Santa Leonor is at the base of the mountains, at the mouth of 

 a great canon. Here the trail starts up the first hill in a winding 

 course until it reaches the summit, and thence downward a little; 



