Part 2

The areas adjacent to British Honduras and Guatemala receive sufficient rainfall to support forests containing mahogany (Swietenia); sapodilly (Achras); several valuable cabinet woods; logwood (Haematozylon) and other dyewoods. As one proceeds northward the flora and fauna change gradually from that of the wet tropics to that of the dry tropics.

Paynter's (1955a) system of vegetational zones on the peninsula is useful to ornithologists. He recognized three zones: Scrub, Deciduous Forest, and Rain Forest. The Scrub zone occupies Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres and the arid northern coast of Yucatán. The zone extends only a few miles inland and consists of low-tropical thorn forest of mesquite (Prosopsis), Mimosa, Yucca, Agave, and mangrove (Rhizophora) wherever standing water occurs. Sisal in Yucatán and Isla Mujeres of Quintana Roo are in this Scrub zone.

The Deciduous Forest zone is a vast area of low, semiarid, secondary forest occupying all of the state of Yucatán not in the Scrub zone, northern Campeche, and a thin strip a few kilometers wide in Quintana Roo along the Yucatán-Quintana Roo border and a similar narrow band along the eastern coast. The island of Cozumel is also included in this zone. Collections were made in the Deciduous Forest at Champotón, Campeche, Isla Cozumel and Puerto Juárez, Quintana Roo, and Pisté, Yucatán.

The Rain Forest zone occupies the remainder of the peninsula and includes most of the territory of Quintana Roo, and the southern half of Campeche. Collections were made in this zone at Escárcega, Campeche, and at Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Pueblo Nuevo X-can, Quintana Roo. Isla del Carmen cannot be accurately assigned to any of these three zones because most of the island has been planted in coconut palms. It is an area of high rainfall and may once have supported rainforest.

In the present report the term "second growth" refers to areas that have been recently cut over. In these areas, the forest is characteristically low and in a stage of transition. In the Rain Forest zone "second growth" areas usually contain species of deciduous trees.

Paynter (1955a) has given an excellent descriptive summary of the topography, climate, and phytogeography of the Yucatán Peninsula and there is little need to go into further detail here. During summer, the rainy season, the Deciduous Forest is much more luxuriant in appearance than in winter when most of the trees have lost their leaves. Also, the numerous cenotes in this zone support a limited growth of evergreen trees. For example, the large Cenote Seco about two kilometers east of Chichén-Itzá contains elephant ear (Caladium), mamey (Mammea), figs (Ficus), and other large trees the trunks of which are some 10 meters below the surface of the surrounding tableland. These plants project five to 10 meters above the surrounding low forest. The floor of this cenote is near the watertable but not below it.

GAZETTEER

The specimens of birds reported herein were collected at the localities shown on the accompanying map (Fig. 1). These localities are listed below in alphabetical order according to states.

Campeche

Champotón.--Lat. 19° 21´ N, long. 90° 43´ W, sea level to five meters. A fishing village on the Gulf of Mexico. Collections were made principally at our camp five kilometers south of the town. Low deciduous forest, second growth, and milpas.

Escárcega.--Lat. 18° 37´ N, long. 90° 44´ W, elevation 65 meters. A village in southwestern Campeche. Field work was carried out principally in the vicinity of an agricultural experiment station seven and a half kilometers west of the town. Second growth and moderately tall rainforest.

Isla del Carmen.--Lat. 18° 43´ N, long. 91° 41´ W, sea level to two meters. An island in the mouth of Laguna de Términos. Collections were made at our camp on the northeastern end of the island, about one kilometer southwest of Puerto Real. Coconut plantations and mangrove swamp.

Quintana Roo

Felipe Carillo Puerto.--Lat. 19° 35´ N, long. 88° 02´ W, elevation 30 meters. A village in east-central Quintana Roo. Field work was centered at Rancho San Miguel, about four kilometers north-northeast of the village. Mostly second growth rainforest with scattered large patches of tall trees (to 30 meters). Several large milpas were present on the ranch some of which had been recently cleared. Our camp was at a large aguada bordered on one side by an extensive marsh with tall dense grass.

Isla Cozumel.--Lat. 20° 27´ N, long. 86° 26´ W, sea level to 10 meters. A large island, 15 kilometers east of the mainland. Collections were made on the northwestern part of the island from one to five kilometers north-northeast of the village of San Miguel in low, dense deciduous forest.

Isla Mujeres.--Lat. 21° 12´ N, long. 86° 43´ W, sea level to 30 meters. A small, narrow island about eight kilometers from the coast at the northeastern end of the peninsula. Field work was done on the beach at the northern end of the island, in low deciduous forest in the middle of the island, and in low deciduous forest and cactus (Opuntia) association on a high rocky bluff on the southern end of the island.

Pueblo Nuevo X-can.--Lat. 21° 52´ N, long. 87° 26´ W, elevation 10 meters. A village five kilometers east of X-can, Yucatán, in rainforest with dense underbrush. Specimens were obtained from the immediate vicinity of the village.

Puerto Juárez.--Lat. 21° 10´ N, long. 86° 49´ W, sea level. A small port on the Caribbean Coast with alternating sand beach and limestone shore. Mangrove swamps extend a short distance inland at various points. Specimens were collected in rainforestlike vegetation at a small cenote, in low deciduous forest, and at our camp along a large, cleared airstrip four kilometers west-southwest of the village.

Yucatán

Pisté.--Lat. 20° 42´ N, long. 88° 28´ W, elevation 10 meters. A village in dense, low deciduous forest with many nearby milpas. Collections were made in a wide area in the vicinity of the village, including nearby Chichén-Itzá.

Sisal.--Lat. 21° 10´ N, long. 90° 00´ W, sea level. A small village on the north-western coast of the peninsula. Collections were made on the beach, in the low scrub vegetation behind the beach, and in the mangrove swamps and nearly-dry lagoons further inland, from three to 13 kilometers west-southwest of the village.

ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES

Catalogue numbers in the following accounts are those of the Museum of Natural History, The University of Kansas. With the exception of a synoptic collection presented to the Departamento de la Fauna Silvestre, Dirección General de Caza, México, D.F., all of the specimens mentioned are in the museum at the University of Kansas.

Unless otherwise indicated, specimens taken were not molting. For birds undergoing postnuptial or postjuvenal molt, the degree of advancement of the molt is indicated by the numbers of primaries and rectrices that are new or partly ensheathed. Information on the condition of the testes refers to the left testis unless otherwise noted.

Scientific and vernacular names follow Friedmann et al. (1950) and Miller et al. (1957) except for specimens of species or genera that have been more thoroughly treated systematically since the publication of the Mexican Checklist, for example, Columbina, Centurus and Platypsaris, by Johnston (1962), Selander and Giller (1963), and Webster (1963), respectively. The trinomial is used whenever subspecific identities could be made with a reasonable degree of certainty. The specimens of several kinds were in extremely worn plumage or in molt and meaningful judgments concerning such characters as relative darkness or paleness of plumages could not be made.

Specimens are listed in each account according to the temporal order in which they were collected.

Bulbulcus ibis Linnaeus: Cattle Egret.--Our specimen is one of three individuals seen feeding near cattle at Rancho San Miguel on August 13 and 14.

Specimen (1): , 40401, testis 6 x 2 mm., 289.5 gm. (August 14), 4 km. NNE Felipe Carrillo Puerto.