of the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. 193 



mens : all have these parts white^ and are in the plumage which 

 caused them to be separated by Vigors under the name of Re- 

 curvirostra occidentalis. Professor Baird considers this to be the 

 immature stage of the northern bird, in which conjecture he is 

 perhaps right ; but if identical, may not this be the winter plu- 

 mage of the red-necked bird ? All the birds I saw, and I must 

 have met with several scores, were similarly coloured ; and out 

 of so many, a considerable proportion, at least one-third, must 

 have been adult birds, supposing a pair to rear four young. 

 Avocets often swim, and are most industrious feeders, their bills 

 being constantly at work ; and how admirably adapted is this 

 curved and sharp-pointed organ for picking the most minute 

 object from the surface of the water ! Other large birds fre- 

 quenting these ponds are the Great Blue Heron [Ardea herodias, 

 L.), a species never allowing one to approach it. Roseate Spoon- 

 bills, and Wood-Ibises {Tantalus loculator, L.). 



It was some time before I could make out what Tio Lencho 

 meant by the "Paloma rayadora" — a very curious bird, he said. 

 From the name I suspected it to be the Black Skimmer {Rhyn- 

 chops nigra, L.) ; but I could never meet with it, till at last I 

 came upon a large flock in a closed lagoon called Acapam, two 

 leagues from Chiapam, where I was staying. They were, exactly 

 as Audubon describes them, sitting on a spit of sand. It was 

 just daylight when I first saw them ; they were then resting, 

 and always settled again after being disturbed. I only stayed 

 at this lagoon during the day, and had no opportunity of watch- 

 ing the nocturnal habits they are said to have. 



In this lagoon I saw a good many Ducks, principally American 

 Widgeon [Mareca americana, Steph.) and Teal {Querquedula dis- 

 cors, Steph.). There was also a small flock of Long-legged Ducks 

 [Dendrocygna autumnalis, Eyton), and I could plainly hear their 

 clear whistling note as they flew. It is the " Pato chiflador " of 

 the natives. I also found a pair of Osprey s {Pandion carolinensis, 

 Bp.) ; indeed every lagoon has its paii', and the bird is very 

 abundant on both coasts. During my ride back along the beach 

 from this lagoon I saw a Burrowing Owl {Athene hypogceaf 

 Bp.) peeping out of a rabbit-hole. It retired as soon as it saw 

 me, and I failed to dig it out. It is a very common species on 



