.There were, however, exceptional cases in Mexico* For example, a 

 large concentration of waterfowl was recorded from San Jose de Babioora 

 in Chihuahua, and there was a good wintering population of lesser scaups 

 on the Laguna de Papagallo, at Aoapulco in Guerrero. Similarly, on the 

 Laguna de Carmen, in Puebla, Goldman recorded "one of the finest gather- 

 ings of waterfowl I have seen in south-oentral Mexico* " In this concen- 

 tration pintails were well represented, and there were many oanvasbaoks, 

 but the most remarkable occurrence was that of fully a thousand each of 

 white-fronted geese and little brown cranes, at a point well -smith of 

 their normal winter range* 



Studies in the United States 



In the Mississippi and Atlantio Flyways, biologists Gillham and Peters 

 devoted the winter to studying the concentrations of ducks and geese in 

 the lower Mississippi Valley and on the south Atlantio coast* It is im- 

 portant to remember that the waterfowl wintering grounds of these two 

 flyways are chiefly within the United States, presenting a responsibility 

 for the birds at this season that for the other two flyways is shared 

 with Mexico* There is reason to believe that large flocks of ducks from 

 the Atlantic Flyway cross the Straits of Florida to winter in extensive 

 swamps and at the head of bays in Cuba, and that some continue eastward 

 across the Windward Passage to wintering grounds in Haiti and the Domin- 

 ican Republic* The number of birds that make these trips is not now known, 

 but it may be large* In the light of present knowledge, however, there is 

 no Important wintering ground for the ducks and geese of the Mississippi 

 Flyway that is outside the United States* 



Gillham concentrated on Louisiana, covering not only the vast coastal 

 marshes from the Mississippi Delta west to the mouth of the Sabine River, 

 but also the important rice-growing belt north of this district* He re- 

 peatedly visited the large Federal refuges and made a special trip to the 

 norttarestern part of the State to study unttaual conditions resulting from 

 the overlapping in that area of the Mississippi and Central Flyways* 



Peters* work in the field was from Chesapeake Bay south to Cape Sable, 

 Fla* In this region there also is a series of waterfowl refuges, which 

 were kept under close observation. As a licensed airplane pilot, Peters 

 frequently took advantage of his training to employ small planes for mak- 

 ing surveys of important feeding and resting grounds* 



Both these biologists were available for the January inventory in two 

 of the most important and difficult regions* They reached the conclusion 

 that there had been a gratifying increase in the numbers of waterfowl of 

 the two flyways* In the Atlantic Flyway, Peters noted a distinct improve- 

 ment for the canvasbaok, but little change for the redhead* An unusual- 

 ly heavy kill of Canada geese in the Mississippi Flyway out down what other- 

 wise would have been a satisfactory increase* 



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