Expedition in Southwestern Mexico 



353 



Photo by Scott 



Curious vSpecies of Agave Growing on Cliffs 



tended across the mountains to Acapulco 

 or follow down the Balsas and reach the 

 coast at Sihuatanejo appears to be still 

 undecided. 



The day following our arrival, after 

 securing a dugout canoe with three 

 paddlemen, we made an early start for 

 the bird rock. Many northern phala- 

 ropes were circling from place to place 

 over the sea or swimming about as light 

 as thistledown on the surface. It was 

 the first time we had ever seen these 

 little waders in Mexico, and finding 

 them made an encouraging beginning 

 to our excursion. As we drew near the 



islet an occasional red-billed tropic 

 birdor bridled tern passed over, 

 and soon a great swarm of birds 

 could be seen about the rock. 

 Among these were two species of 

 terns, the tropic bird and Brew- 

 ster's gannet. 



The rocks rose so precipitousl}* 

 from the sea on all sides that it 

 was only after circling them for 

 some time that we found a pos- 

 sible landing place. Finally a 

 ragged point, where the broken 

 rocks gave hand and foot hold 

 was chosen. Then the canoe was 

 brought close in, and as the swell 

 lifted it almost against the rocks, 

 we made flying leaps from the 

 bow and landed successfully with 

 our cameras. The most beautiful 

 habitant of these rocks w r as the 

 tropic bird with its coral red bill, 

 satiny white and black plumage, 

 and long, filament-like middle tail 

 feathers. Their graceful flight 

 and long trailing tail feathers at 

 once attract attention. Dozens 

 of them were nesting in crevices 

 among the rock, and one of the 

 parents was usually at home, al- 

 ways ready to meet a trespasser 

 with shrill cries and powerful 

 thrusts of its sharp beak. They 

 were so persistent in defense of 

 their homes that they could be 

 dragged out of the nesting holes before 

 they would make any effort to escape. 

 The gannets nested upon the surface, 

 laying two eggs on the bare rocks or 

 sometimesona rude collection of moulted 

 quill feathers which they gathered from 

 the vicinity. 



The most unexpected result of our 

 visit to Sihuatanejo was the discovery 

 of an inaccessible rocky islet rising 

 about 200 feet above the sea, with nu- 

 merous small cavities near the summit, 

 which were occupied as nesting places 

 by thirty or forty pairs of large red 

 and green macaws. As the canoe ap- 



