made in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways. This year a more improved 
status of the ducks and geese of the Central and Pacific Flyways is clearly 
indicated in the following comparative table: 
Table 1 
Percentage comparison by flyways of reports on the status of 
migratory waterfowl: Fall migrations of 1939 and 1940 
: No change : Increase : Decrease : 
Flyway A : : all : noe : 
Atlantic : 42 tak Ad : 47 eaguesc $ 11 2 ld : 
Mississippi : 43 : 45 : 39 or ope : 18 sep Bh : 
Central : 33: suse) : Zarige cen BS ergs 36) s72 WAS : 
Pacific : : 6 3 2 NOt Ses : 
Wintering Ground Surveys 
Studies in Mexico 
Luther J. Goldman, biologist of the Pacific Flyway, continued his 
winter investigations of waterfowl conditions in Mexico. He crossed the 
border at El Paso, Texas, and worked southward through the states of 
Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, and Hidalgo to the Valley of Mexico. From this point 
he traveled southwest to inspect Lakes Patzcuaro and Cuitzeo, in the state 
of Michoacan, and Lake Chapala in the states of Michoacan and Jalisco. 
Waters were abnormally low throughout the country visited and some of 
the most important to migratory waterfowl were entirely dry. 
At the usually excellent winter resort of Lake Patzcuaro, the water 
level appeared to be about normal but no large number of ducks were seen, 
Lake Cuitzeo, formerly a winter gathering point for thousands of birds, was 
entirely dry, as were also most of the sloughs along the Rio Grande or Rio 
Cointzio in the Morelia Valley. This was due chiefly to the construction 
of a large water storage dam on the Rio Grande a short distance above the 
city of Morelia. Here, there has been impounded a body of water which 
extends several miles up the river valley to a point near its marshy head- 
waters. The marshes were in good condition but the newly constructed 
reservoir, completely lacking in aquatic plant foods, and heavily charged 
with silt, was not attractive to either migrant or local waterfowl. 
A distinct shortage of birds was noted in the vicinity of Guadalajara, 
and also on Lake Chapala. This is the largest lake in Mexico, being ap- 
proximately 50 miles in length. Its shoreline had noticeably receded. 
16 
