Part 3

Casmerodius albus (Linnaeus): American Egret.--We took one egret from a flock of about 20 that flew low over our campsite on the morning of July 12.

Specimen (1): [Female], 40402, ovary inactive, 10 x 5 mm., 607.5 gm. (July 12), 5 km. S Champotón. Mallophaga: Ciconiphilus obscurus.

Cochlearius cochlearius (Linnaeus): Boat-billed Heron.--Three individuals were seen on a small point of land immediately south of the village on the west coast of Isla Mujeres on the afternoon of August 1. One was foraging in a small cove about one mile south of the village on the morning of August 2. Paynter (1955a) did not list the species for Isla Mujeres; our observations seem to constitute the first records for the island.

Mycteria americana Linnaeus: Wood Ibis.--A flock of about 15 flew over our camp 4 km. NNE Felipe Carrillo Puerto on August 14.

Sarcoramphus papa (Linnaeus): King Vulture.--Our specimen was one of two individuals seen at a cenote.

Specimen (1): 40403, testes inactive, 8 lbs. (July 29), 1 km. N Pueblo Nuévo X-can. Mallophaga: Colpocephalum megalops.

Carthartes burrovianus Cassin: Yellow-headed Vulture.--We saw several Yellow-headed Vultures on Isla del Carmen on July 6, 7, 8, and 9. C. burrovianus was more abundant than either Carthartes aura or Coragyps atratus in the vicinity of Champotón, where we confirmed field identifications by taking a specimen. Until Wetmore (1950) clarified the status of C. burrovianus in southern Mexico and Central America, the species had gone unnoticed or misidentified as C. aura. The Mexican Checklist (Friedmann, Griscom, and Moore, 1950) omitted C. burrovianus from the avifauna of México. Blake (1953) included Tabasco, Chiapas, and Veracruz within the range of the species, but Paynter (1955a) omitted it from his list of birds of the Yucatán Peninsula. Our specimen seemingly constitutes the first record from the peninsula.

Specimen (1): , 40404, testes inactive, 1-3/4 lb. (July 9), 2 km. S Champotón.

Chondrohierax uncinatus uncinatus (Temminck): Hook-billed Kite.--A pair was seen 5 km. S Champotón on July 8 and 9. Both birds were in adult plumage and appeared to be mated, although we found no nest. The male is referable to C. u. uncinatus on the basis of the narrow white ventral bands, most of which are 0.3 millimeter or less in width. None of the bars exceeds 0.5 millimeter in width. Paynter (1955a) discussed in detail the contradictions in the literature concerning the geographic range of this subspecies, and referred a male in his collection taken in February, 1952, to C. u. aliquonis. Traylor (1941) collected a large series of this species in Yucatán and Campeche in winter and allocated the specimens to the nominate form.

At Pisté, on July 23, a nestling approximately half-grown was brought in by a local boy. The rectrices were partly ensheathed and the feather count extensively downy.

Specimens (2): , 40406, testis 9 × 5 mm., 215.0 gm. (July 10), 5 km. S Champotón; , 40405, nestling, 117.6 gm. (July 24), Pisté.

Buteo magnirostris gracilis (Ridgway): Roadside Hawk.--This was the only hawk seen on Isla Cozumel.

Specimens (2): , 40411, testis 5 mm., 207.3 gm. (August 10), 4 km. N San Miguel; [Female], 40412, 242 gm. (August 10), 3-1/2 km. N San Miguel.

Buteo magnirostris conspectus (Peters): Roadside Hawk.--This species was the commonest hawk on the peninsula and was seen at all localities except Isla Mujeres and Sisal.

Specimens (5): , 40409 (July 12), and [Female], 40410, ova to 1 mm., 249 gm. (July 16), 7-1/2 km. W Escárcega; , 40413, 279 gm. (July 17) 1 km. N, 13 km. W Escárcega; , 40407, testis 5 × 2 mm., 254.7 gm. (July 23), Pisté: [Female], 40408, ovary inactive, 279.0 gm. (July 28), Pueblo Nuevo X-can.

Buteo brachyurus Vieillot: Short-tailed Hawk.--Our one specimen, a male (40414) weighing 342 gm. and in white-bellied phase, was taken by a native 6 km. W Escárcega on July 14. The testes were inactive.

Buteo nitidus plagiatus (Schlegel): Gray Hawk.--Our specimen is one of two subadults sighted near a large milpas, on Rancho San Miguel.

Specimen (1): , 40415, testis 5 × 3 mm., 364 gm. (August 15), 4 km. NNE Felipe Carillo Puerto. Mallophaga: Craspedorrhy sp.

Buteogallus anthracinus (Lichtenstein): Common Black Hawk.--Five individuals were seen on August 23 along a stretch of five miles of highway about 30 mi. SW Champotón, Campeche. The species was identified from the description given in Blake (1953). The hawks were perched on dead limbs in full view, 50 to 100 feet from the highway, which at this locality parallels the beach, sometimes only a few yards from the water.

Ortalis vetula intermedia Peters: Chachalaca.--Chachalacas were heard or seen at all localities on the mainland except Sisal.

Specimens (3): [Female], 40416, 423 gm. (July 13), [Female], 40417, 432 gm. (July 15), and [Female], 40418, ovary 12 × 9 mm., 408.5 gm. (July 16), 7-1/2 km. W Escárcega. Mallophaga: Amyrisidea spicula, July 16.

Colinus nigrogularis persiccus Van Tyne and Trautman: Black-throated Quail.--These quail were abundant in the arid scrub west of Sisal. Several coveys of half-grown chicks were seen and specimens taken were in full breeding condition. On a two-mile walk on August 18, in the coastal scrub about 5 km. W Sisal, a pair of quail was seen about every 100 paces.

Specimens (4): [Female], 40422, ovum in oviduct 30 x 22 mm., 147.5 gm. (August 10), [Female], 40420, ovum in oviduct 27 mm., 151.7 gm. (August 18), , 40421, testis 9 × 5 mm., 119.6 gm. (August 18), and , 40419, testis 11 × 6 mm., 145.7 gm. (August 18), all from southwest of Sisal.

Laterallus ruber (Sclater and Salvin): Little Red Rail.--Two specimens were taken about 3-1/2 km. N San Miguel, Isla Cozumel, in tall grass. One bird was shot when flushed; the other was caught in a Museum Special mousetrap. I follow Brodkorb (1943) and Paynter (1955a) who did not recognize subspecies in this species.

Specimens (2): [Female], 40424, ovary 9 × 3 mm., 41.5 gm. (August 8), and , 40423, testis 6 mm., 40.0 gm. (August 11), Isla Cozumel.

Porphyrula nartinica (Linnaeus): Purple Gallinule.--A female was taken in the tall grass where red rails were found on Isla Cozumel.

Specimen (1): [Female], 4025, ovary 14 x 7 mm., 169 gm. (August 10), 3-1/2 km. N San Miguel.

Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus: Oyster-catcher.--Two individuals were seen along the beach about 6 km. W Sisal on August 10 and 11.