Sept., 1924 FALL MIGRATION NOTES PROM ARIZONA 185 



In view of Merriam's detailed description of the region there is no need of going 

 into particulars here, but there are some points that it seems well to emphasize. Our 

 headquarters was in the piiion belt, and most of our work was done there. Many 

 short trips were made into the yellow pine belt, at a slightly higher altitude, and 

 several to points above the limits of the yellow pine. This whole region is extremely 

 arid. There are no running streams and very few springs, and there is in consequence 

 a marked scarcity of certain types of small birds, of the sorts that frequent such 

 shrubbery as appears in the vicinity of streams. In the pinon belt and in the yellow 

 pine belt there is very little underbrush. 



At a few places in the pines, and more numerously at lower levels, gullies have 

 been dammed to check the flow of surface water, with resulting reservoirs, primarily 

 for the use of cattle, that are locally known as tanks. These become filled with 

 water as a result of winter snow and of the heavy thunder storms -of midsummer, and 

 they diminish in size at other seasons. Some of the larger tanks attract a few passing 

 water-fowl. 



The plains at the base of San Francisco Mountain are at an altitude of about 

 6000 feet, and in consequence of this high elevation the winters are rather severe. 

 When we arrived, the first of September, the summer heat was still intense, and warm 

 weather continued until early in October. On the morning of September 24 the green 

 belt of quaking aspen, conspicuous on the higher slopes of San Francisco Mountain, 

 was seen to have suddenly developed spots of brilliant yellow and orange, an indica- 

 tion of the first frost at that height. A few days later the green had all changed to 

 yellow, and early in October there was a light frost at the level of our camp. On 

 October 27 a light rain that began to fall late in the afternoon changed to snow 

 during the night, the beginning of a storm that lasted three days. When I left for 

 home, November 2, the weather had not been warm enough to melt the fallen snow to 

 an appreciable extent. 



Erismatura jamaicensis. Ruddy Duck. One seen October 15 on a tank some 

 thirty miles north of San Francisco Mountain. There were flocks of larger ducks on 

 the same tank, too far distant to be identified. 



Fulica americana. American Coot. Several seen at the same time and place 

 as the last mentioned species. 



Totanus melanoleucus. Greater Yellow-legs. Two seen October 15, at a tank 

 some thirty miles north of San Francisco Mountain. 



Oxyechus vociferus vociferus. Killdeer. Seen throughout September and Oc- 

 tober, usually a single bird or two together at the edge of a tank. 



Columba fasciata fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. One seen September 14, at 

 about 10,000 feet on San Francisco Mountain. Reported from the same mountain by 

 Woodhouse, but not found by Merriam. According to local report it occurs sometimes 

 in fair abundance. 



Zenaidura macroura marginella. Western Mourning Dove. In fair abundance 

 during the first two weeks in September. A single bird appeared October 29; none 

 had been seen for the previous six weeks. 



Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. Seen frequently during September; became 

 rare by the middle of October. An adult male was seen on October 29, drifting over 

 the prairie in a driving snow storm. 



Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Seen at frequent intervals; last noted 

 October 27. 



Accipiter cooperi. Cooper Hawk. Seen, rather infrequently, until October 12. 

 Two killed, not preserved, while attacking poultry. 



Astur atricapillus. Goshawk. Two seen circling overhead at Deadman Flat Sep- 

 tember 11. 



