422 JEWEL, Xor'h American Birds in Panama. [july 



SOME NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS IN PANAMA. 



BY L. L. JEWEL, C. E. 



During the greater part of L911 and up to September, 1912, the 

 author lived at Gatun, ("anal Zone, and nearly all Sundays and 

 holidays during this period were spent in collecting and studying 

 native birds. Naturally, many birds of the A. O. U. Cheek-List 

 were observed, some resident in Panama and some transients 

 or winter visitors. After July, 1911, records of the occurrence 

 of such have been kept as completely as available time would allow. 

 In many eases specimens were taken as recorded in the annotated 

 list following. 



Gatun is situated seven miles inland anil directly south of Colon, 

 at the beginning of what are practically the first foot hills of the 

 Isthmus. The coast-line swings so far in just west of Colon, how- 

 ever, that only three or four miles of low flat land - some of it 

 very marshy — separates Gatun from the hay. Indeed, salt water 

 now comes up the old French canal, the East Diversion and the 

 new American canal, to the very door of Gatun. 



The valley of the Rio Chagres is here about a mile and a half 

 wide and is now, of course, tilled across by the Gatun locks, dam and 

 spillway. This construction work has destroyed much cover, but 

 on the other hand, the clearings made in and about the town of 

 Gatun and the partial filling of Gatun lake have perhaps made the 

 locality more attractive to certain migrant birds from the north. 



To the south of Gatun the ridges diverge rapidly with miles of 

 the Black Swamp country stretching between them and only a few 

 thickly grown knolls less than one hundred feet high scattered here 

 and there. Practically all of these will he submerged when the 

 lake is altogether tilled. 



The higher hills on either side of the valley at Gatun, are about 

 two hundred and fifty feet above sea level, with a few points reach- 

 ing to twice that elevation. 



Just three miles south of Gatun on the old line of the Panama 

 Railroad, and in the heart of the Black Swamp country is, or rather 

 was, Loma de Leon, or Lion Hill. It is now accessible only by 



