86 



40. Pisobia minutilla. Least Sandpiper — Several small 



flocks seen about irrigation ponds south of Mexicali, 

 where specimens were shot on March 29. They were 

 still in winter plumage. This species was also ob- 

 served by Rhoads. 



41. Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus. Western 



WiLLET. — One, 'Hhe only one noted," was collected 

 by Rhoads at the mouth of the Hardy. 



42. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — Common 



along the Hardy and at Volcano Lake. 



43. Numenius hudsonicus. Hudsonian Curlew. — Two 



flocks seen by Rhoads on the Hardy. 



44. Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. — Very abundant, not 



only along the river, but also in the cultivated fields 

 on the Mexican side of the boundary line, where they 

 seemed to be breeding. A male was collected on 

 March 30. 



45. Lophortyx gambeli. Desert Quail. — A plentiful bird 



throughout the entire region, occurring most abun- 

 dantly in the densely grown strips along the river, but 

 being common also in the creosote patches of the 

 open desert, and still more so in the higher parts of 

 the Wash Association on the western slopes of Pattie 

 Basin. 



Fourteen specimens of the Desert Quail were pre- 

 served. All were in breeding condition, as evidenced 

 by the gonads, and several of the females had large 

 bare patches on the belly. The crops of the speci- 

 mens taken early in April were mostly crammed with 

 caterpillars of the genus Hemileuca, assorted sizes of 

 which were at that time marching in legions across 

 the desert. Later in the month the birds were found 

 to have fed chiefly upon seeds of some sort. Rhoads 

 noted that the berries of the mistletoe furnished them 

 with a staple food supply in winter, and Grinnell (1914) 

 found the new foliage of the mesquite, as well as 

 mistletoe berries, in their stomachs. 



One statement by Grinnell (op. cit., 122), namely 



