86 
Vol. XVII 
A FORTY ACRE BIRD CENSUS AT SACATON, ARIZONA 
By M. FRENCH GILMAN 
T HE FORTY ACRES Oil which this bird census was taken in the spring 
and early summer of 1914, may be described in ten-acre tracts. Of the 
first ten acres half is devoted to an Indian Day School, which consists of 
school-house, dwelling and barn, to the school garden, and to an incipient 
orchard. There are a few young cottonwoods groAving here, two umbrella 
and two mulberry trees, and some young grape vines, date palms and pome- 
granates ; also a feAv scattered mesquite trees that Avere topped once and have 
sent up a second growth. An irrigating ditch runs through the grounds and 
occasionally has water in it. A horse-trough alAA'avs filled Avith Avater stands 
in the corral, and is an attraction to the birds. In season 1 always ha\ T e some 
pieces of watermelon in the shade of a young cottonwood, and many birds 
resort to these for refreshment. The Gila AVoodpeckers in particular seem to 
have developed the watermelon habit to a marked degree. In the hottest 
Aveather I try to keep water in a basin holloAved out around one of the young 
cottoinvood trees, and this furnishes drink and a bath to many species. The 
other half of this ten acres has been partly cleared, but has a few scattered 
second-groAvth mesquites, quite an area of salt-bush ( Atriplex polycarpa) , and 
several clumps of Lycium fremonti, or squaAv-bush, as it is called locally. 
The ten acres lying to the south of the tract just described is in cultivation, 
Avheat. barley, corn and alfalfa being raised on it. Along the fences and 
ditches on this tract are a feAv mesquites, squaw-bushes, and some burro-Aveed 
( DoncMa torreyana.) Of the ten acres Avest of this area about one-third is 
cleared and partly cultivated, one-third is covered with dense second-groAvth 
mesquite mixed Avith a feAv eat sc laws ( Acacia greggii), jujube ( Zizyphus lycio- 
idcs), Lycium fremonti, and three species of salt-bush, Atriplex polycarpa, A. 
canescens and A. lentif ormis. The other third of the tract is sparsely covered 
Avith the same sort of growth, but with Atriplex polycarpa predominating. The 
last ten acres of the tract under observation is about the same as the last third 
section just described, that is, covered with a sparse growth of the plants men- 
tioned. 
The following list of nests found probably does not contain all that Avere 
occupied during the present breeding season, as I did not make a systematic 
search of the entire tract until late in the year, and a feAv of the earliest breed- 
ers may have escaped notice. AYhere there is reason to believe any find is a 
second set it is so stated. 
Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. A nest Avith three eggs found on ploAved 
ground in the school garden. The three eggs hatched and the young probably 
were safely raised, as I saAv them at different times in fields nearby. The eggs 
Avere found about April 1, and on June 14 I found three more eggs in the 
same nest depression. As a Killdeer ’s nest is easily and quickly scratched out 
and made ready for occupancy there seems no particular reason for a second 
set in the same place, unless, from the successful outcome of the first set, the 
bird considered it a good safe location. Taa t o of this set Avere hatched, one egg 
being found with a hole in it the day the young left the nest. This departure 
seems to take place the same day they hatch. 
Lophortyx gambeli. Desert Quail. FHe nests Avere found in the confines 
