^^mW^r'^^' \ BEEBE FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE ' LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO I'age IVJ) MEXICAN MOTMOT. THE PENDULUM ON THE SWING TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO 1/ BY /^ r '-f. C. WILLIAM BEEBE Curator of Ornithology of the New York Zoological Park and Life Member of the New York Zoological Society; Member of the American Ornithologists' Union ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS FROM LIFE TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR -^.' BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY catlje Ritctsibc press, Cambridge 1905 COPYRIGHT 1905 BY C. WILLIAM UEEBE ALL RIGHTS KESEKV'ED Published September iq05 G TO MY WIFE THE OTHER BIRD-LOVER WHOSE STSIPATHY AND HELP IN THE FIELD AND IN THE STUDY HAVE MADE THIS BOOK POSSIBLE PREFACE |HESE chapters on the Nature life of Mexico were written during a trip to that country in the winter of 1903-04. We reached Vera Cruz on Christmas Day ; Guadalajara on New Year's, from which city we made three camping trips in the vicinity of the Volcano of Colima, in the States of Jalisco and Colima ; and re- turning via Vera Cruz, we left that port en route for New York at Easter. The entire trip was so novel, so delightful, so abso- lutely devoid of unpleasant features, and on the whole so inexpensive, that it seemed to me that the know- ledge of such an outing would tempt many lovers of Nature to this neighbouring Republic. As an aid to such Mrs. Beebe has added a chapter on " How we did it." Our sincere thanks are due to Hon. Levi P. Morton, Mr. Madison Grant, and Secretary of State John Hay, for letters of introduction which proved invaluable. Of the innumerable courtesies extended to us in Mexico we are especially grateful for the kindness of Gobernador Miguel Ahumada, of the State of Jalisco ; to Gobernador Enrique 0. de la Madrid, of the State •"•M <^ vii ^ - ::::::::s5e PREFACE Is:::::::: of Colima j to the Rev. A. C. Wright and many other friends in the city of Guadalajara ; and also for the exti-eme kindness of Mr. W. D. Murdock and other officials of the Mexican Centi-al Railroad, to whose un- failing courtesy much of the pleasure and the profit of our trip are due. Our sincere thanks are due to General Canada, the American Consul at Vera Cruz, for courte- sies extended to us during our enforced stay in that city. Mr. C. B. Waite of Mexico City has kindly permitted the use of his copyrighted photographs for the front- ispiece and on pages 15, 23, 29, 30, 97, 333, 343, 358, and Mr. R. H. Beebe the use of that on page 71. The illustrations on pages 27, 33, 83, 108, 111, and 125 are the work of Mr. Scott. The other illustrations are photographs of living subjects taken by myself. Parts of certain chapters have already appeared in print in the New York " Evening Post." To facilitate reference to the birds observed and to the mammals which we were able to identify on our trip, I have added as an Appendix an annotated list, with reference to pages of the book, thus supplement- ing the Index. In the preparation of this Appendix I am greatly indebted to Mr. E. W. Nelson, of the Biological Survey at Washington, for the identification of specimens. C. WILLIAM BEEBE. i(?^^ CONTENTS 1^ I. Waves of the Sea 1 II. Coast and Tableland 14 III. Walks in the Cactus Country 37 IV. Oasis and Desert 66 v. The Mesquite Wilderness 91 VI. The Marshes of Chapala 106 VII. Camping in a Barranca 122 VIII. Nature near Camp 152 IX. Near the Twin Volcanos 170 X. The ]\Iagic Pools 205 XI. Along the Stream of Death 228 XII. The Tropics 258 XIII. The Hot Lands of the Pacific 300 XIV. Around the Volcano by ^Ioonlight .... 340 XV. How We Did It. By Mrs. C. William Beebe . . 363 APPENDIX ^^.^^(^T,) .S^.H^i-'^d^ List of the Birds and Mammals observed . . 377 INDEX 401 Mexican Motmot. The Pendulum on the Swing ( page 199) Frontispiece Gannet ............ 2 Living Portuguese Man-o'-tvar, Beached ..... 3 Cabbage-palms and Palmettoes along the Florida Coast ... 5 Pelicans ........... 7 Royal Palms, Havana. Botanico Jardin de Universidad ... 8 Live Needle Fish .......... 13 Peak of Orizaba 15 Street Scene in Vera Cruz . . . . . . . .17 One of the Black Scavengers ........ 19 Orizaba Mountain through the Clouds ...... 23 The Peak of Ixtaccihuatl. The Sleeping Woman .... 27 View from Esperanza 29 Crater of Popocatepetl 30 Cave Dwellers 33 Musicians . .......... 36 Guadalajara Ditch 41 Desert Sparrow Hawk 43 Cuernavaca House Finch ........ 47 Seed-pods ........... 49 Jalisco Pouched Bat ......... 59 A Guadalajara Expressman ........ 65 Guadalajara ........... 67 The Flying Switch ......... 69 Belted Kingfisher 71 A Pintail Duck 73 Green-winged Teal ......... 75 American Egret 78 Organ Cactus .......... 83 Fossil Tooth of Imperial Mammoth in the Alkali Desert ... 87 Green Heron ....... .... 90 The Barranca of the Rio Santiago ....... 97 Nests of Wasps and Sinaloa Wren 102 «# xi l» • ::::::::sg: ILLUSTRATIONS 1g:::::::: The Mesquite Wilderness 105 La Barca Cathedral, from our Hotel Window . . . . . 107 Native Sail-boat on Lake Chapula ....... 108 Palm Log Raft and Ferry near Chapala over the Rio Santiago . Ill Mexican Fisherman . . . . . . . . .115 White-fronted and Snow Geese 121 Plaza at Tuxpan .......... 125 Tuxpan Cathedral . . . . . . . . . .128 Our Pack-train .......... 131 Mexican Goshawk .......... 138 Mexican Canyon Wren ......... 141 Elegant Woodpecker . . ... • . . . .147 Fork-tailed Hummingbird ........ 1.50 A Goshawk near Camp ......... 151 Derby Flycatcher .......... 155 Iguana ............ 159 The Barranca Cave 161 Heliconia Butterflies ......... 169 Our Fortified Camp ......... 172 Long-tailed Blue Jay .175 Roadrunner ........... 179 Parrot-fruit Tree .......... 182 Parrot Food 183 Mourning Dove .......... 185 Querulous Flycatcher ......... 187 Least Flycatcher . . . . . . . . . .188 Giraud Flycatcher 189 View in the Barranca ......... 191 Ant-tunnels on a Fig-tree ........ 193 Benito 196 Back View of Mexican Motmot 200 Motmots^ Tails, Young Male and Adult Female .... 201 Twin Peaks of Colima J olcano . • 204 Ridgway Whip-poor-will ........ 217 Ring-tailed Cat 219 Nine-banded Armadillo . 227 Broken Tail of Iguana ......... 233 Daddy-long-legs mimicking Moss ....... 239 •••" «4 xii •^ ::::::::sSg ILLUSTRATIONS BJ""-- The Invisible Dragon-fly 240 A Leaf Butterfly 241 The Pines of Colima 249 Thick-billed Parrot 251 Western Mockingbird singing ....... 257 Tuxpan in Early Morning ........ 259 Our Tropical Camp ......... 267 The Giant Fig-tree 271 Mexican Opossum playing " Possu7n "...... 275 Mexican Cacique .......... 283 Pod of Milk-weed Tree 285 The Cotton Gall 287 The Grotesque Fruit 289 The Wooden Caracara 291 Head of Caracara 299 Painted Redstart caught on Thorn 307 A Trapped Fairy 309 Texas Kingfisher, flshing on Dry Land 318 Ants' Nest in Tree 319 The Laughing Falcon 323 The Coon Hawk 325 The Skull of a Yaguarondi 326 Boat-billed Heron 327 Antlers of Brocket 329 The Harbour of Manzanillo 333 Where Swamp and Jungle meet 339 The Volcano from the City • . 341 City of Colima in Early Morning ....... 343 Colima Ground Sparrow 347 Old Spanish Bridge 348 The Old Spanish Highway 351 The Volcano in Eruption ........ 353 The Trail near Tonila 355 The Twin Mountains at Night ....... 358 A Lucky Sriap icith the Camera ....... 362 '•*4 xiii ^'< TWO BIED-LOVERS IN MEXICO CHAPTER I WAVES OF THE SEA (T was the evening- of the seventeenth of December when our steamer passed Lib- erty Statue. A sleety storm drove us into our cabin, wliere we delved for the hundredth time into our mucli-thuml)ed bird-books, strivino' to make real to our imao-ination the birds we hoped to see, and to attune our ears to the sibilant tones of the Spanish tongue — the language of the country whither we were bound — Mexico, the land of the Cactus and the Caracara. There is one joy of reading, another of painting, and another of writing, but none to compare with the thrill which comes to one who, loving Nature in all her moods, is about to start on a voyage of discovery to a land familiar to him in dreams alone. :::::::::C TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B-"-" Before we had passed the restless waves off Hatteras we became famiHar with the flocks of Herring- Gulls, as they gleaned the refuse from the wake of the shij). GANNET. A CAPTIVK \VIL1> BIRD The Stormy Petrels, the Rino-biHed Gulls and the Gan- nets delighted us, and Black-fish and Dolphins played about us day after day. Farther to the south we disturbed immense flocks of Phalaropes — little sjindpipers of the sea — spend- ing the winter far from land. Occasionally the steam- er's prow bore down upon a solitary Loon, forcing it to dive, and in the blackness of night these brave birds «# 2 "^ ::::":;3g: WAVES OF THE SEA as:::::::: called to us, their wild laughter ringing out above the whistle of the wind through the rigging. When at last we left behind the zone of winter, the breeze came softened by the balminess which a north- ern sojourner never knows. Vessels built by human hands had been few and far between, but now we passed a real ship of the sea. LIVING PORTUGUESE MAN u-\SAK, BEACHED a tiny galleon of crystal, which floated by, drifting before the wind, silent as the Flying Dutchman. We were the only ones who hailed it — perhaps the only ones who could call its name — a Portuguese ... — <4 3 ^ :::::::::C TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B-"--" Man-o'-War. Its tiny bladder-sail was buoyant and full- stretched, reflecting all the hues of the rainbow, and the curling tentacles trailed after. At sight of it a thousand memories of palm-studded shores rushed over us, and, looking up, we realized that the miles had slipped past more quickly than we thought, for only a short distance away was the white beach of mid- Florida. It was there — we can discern almost the very spot — that last winter we watched so many hun- dreds of fleets of these selfsame Men-o'-\Var come to grief, wrecks innumerable, but exquisite even in their death. We now ediied inshore still closer. The olass showed everv familiar feature ; tlie feathery cabba >^*^B|BWBBHb 1 ^ m i St .HI M\ jk^Jl^K^yl ^ m ^^^^^^^^^s^^9^^HH^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H^^^btV!!^9 KOTAL PALMS, HAVANA. BOTANICO JARUIN DE tlNlVERSIDAD «4 8 ^ :::::::::^ WAVES OF THE SEA Is;::::::: birds, Mockingbirds, and Redwings were in lesser num- bers. Ground Doves scurried about, and a sinole American Pipit walked ahead of us along the gravelly paths. Several vireos and other small birds passed too quickly for identification. Two Orioles, with the black throats of their second year's plumage, were dusted thickly with yellow pollen, making them of a beautiful golden green colour. These birds were remarkably tame and allowed us to come within four or five feet of them. Skinks and other small lizards were evervwhere, and the brush-piles rustled with their scurrying. Twice in succession I saw a small oreen lizard attacked and driven out of sight by a large violet-winged ichneumon %• Forced to be satisfied with these meao-re notes of Cuban life, we hastily returned to the steamer and soon afterward weighed anchor. Half an hour before we left the harbour, tiny bats began to fly swiftly past us, with a remarkalde, unbat-like directness of flight. Within twenty minutes, hundreds passed by. — coming, jjerhaps. from some desolate coral cave along- the coast and headino- straio-ht inland. Throuo-h- out our first night on the Gulf, and all the next day, rolled by a heavy ground-swell, our vessel steamed due west. Although birds were unaccountably absent during this portion of our trip, their place was taken by winged creatures of the sea — our first Flying-Fish. ■»4 9 ^ ::::::::3e TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO BJ"--" And how curious they are ; descriptions and drawings being powerless to give any adequate conception of them in life ! Probably the astonishment which one feels at be- holding a fish desert its element, to which it seems so helplessly bound, and skim lightly as a bird, yard after yard through the air, is no less in a well-read student of fishes than in a person who has never heard of such a phenomenon. From the bow we watched tlie tiny grey forms, wliich shot ahead just below the surface, suddenly emerge, the four great fins instantly spreading taut. The smaller posterior pair fold up and close occasionally, but the pectoral ones remain expanded. A fresh impetus is sometimes gained by a second's touch of the tail to the crest of a wave, a frantic wiggle sending the little creature up and on a<>ain. But soon strenjith and momentum aive out and the fiight ends in an unlovely flop into the water. Some of the Flyinyf-Fish seem but lialf an inch in length, — from our lookout tliey are hardly larger than blue-bottle Hies, — while the largest may be six or seven inches from head to tail. Similes between marine and terrestrial creatures are often inapt and ill- taken, but no one can deny the resemblance between these fish and the large flying grasshopi^ers of our summer meadows. The most exciting event of the day proved to be the discovery of several waterspouts — great Atlas-like -4 10 |» ::::::::3K WAVES OF THE SEA B^:::::::: pillars of ever-moving liquid, joining- sea and cloud. The steamer passed through a small one and dissolved it, a sudden torrent of rain representing the synthesis of the watery column. Early next morning the engines ceased their throb- binpf and we swung; round from our anchor in the lio^ht emerald waters, five miles off shore at Progreso, Yuca- tan. A trip ashore showed a most barren country, sand and dusty mesquite with several scattered palms in the far distance ; no birds, no insects, no flowers. Only the sisal hemp exporter could be interested in the scorching warehouses, and even he seems to yearn to leave the country in company with his fibre. Cows must be a long-felt want in Yucatan, judging from the number which were sent ashore, each mutely pa- tient bovine unresistingly allowing herself to be belted in a canvas sling and hoisted up and outward to the unsteady deck of a lighter. Last of all came several netfuls of new-born calves, their legs dangling help- lessly through the meshes, protesting with shrill, in- fantile bleats at this enforced aerial journey. We heard fascinating tales of primeval forests far in the interior, and ruins of cities built by a diminu- tive race of savages, but our faces were turned toward the setting sun and nothing tempted us aside. Much of interest was to be seen about the ship. The floating garbage attracted thousands of lithe, silvery Needle Fish, looking like tiny editions of Gar- «4 11 ^ :::::::::*• TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO B:"""" pikes. These glided past in schools or fought in swarms over bits of meat and bread. Sharks now and then cut the water with their long fins and might be temjjted with pork. Red Snappers and Grunts, the latter with beautiful blue and gold-lined heads, were abundant, and over the stern rail one could soon catch enough for dinner. Many hours after the low coast of Yucatan had sunk below the horizon, two coral islets ai)peared, — two desolate crescents of sand bravely defying the great waste of waters. Yet they do not deserve the term desolate, for several hundred sturdy feathered beings know these little })lots of dry land as home. Booby is the meaningless name bv which these birds are known to man, but little care they ; a world of ocean with fish in i)lenty, a mate, a few square inches of dry sand, and they are hapi)y and content. The steamers which pass now and then might cease to come, mankind and his civilization might vanish from the earth, and the Boobies would miss nothing. They are blood brothers to the Gannets, but are feathered brown above instead of white, and enjoy each other's com- pany more. Hying in long oblique lines close to the water. Now and then one dropped from the Hock like a plummet, seized a fish, swallowed it, and rising, caught up with his conq)anions, all of whom were uu)ving steadily onward, paying not the slightest at- tention to the steamer. ^- U #* ::::::::m WAVES OF THE SEA B:"""- The sun sank into a sea smooth as glass, and when its golden path liad faded out, a tiny thread of silver was left, — the thin moon-crescent hung even-balanced in the w estern sky, — and our last night on the water — our first Christmas Eve in the tropics — was one of enchantment. LIVE NEEDLE FISH CHAPTER II COAST AND TABLELAND 'ITH all our alertness and despite much peering through glasses on Christmas morning to catch the first glimpse of the low Mexican coast, we found ourselves most profoundly deceived and tricked by Mother Na- ture. No horizon was ever more closely scanned than was that in the path of our steamer, ])ut when a dark and ominous-looking cloud slowly rose ahead, we were fain to give up the attempt, supposing that the approaching storm concealed everything beneath it. Idly watching the dark clouds as they gained in size and distinctness, the truth suddenly flashed upon me, and If ever my eyes beheld a miracle it was in the fraction of a second in which the rising banks of storm clouds changed to a grand range of lofty mountains, a])l)arontly rising abrujitly out of the sea. But the end of the miracle Avas not vet. Surely those Heecy white thundei"-caps which edged the apex of the supposed storm and so enhanced the resemblance — these at least must be what they seemed. I strained and strained through the glasses, and, satisfied on this point, was about to lower them, when the scales again were lifted from my eyes, and the magnificent peak of Orizaba, -«# 14 ^ ::::::::ag: COAST AND TABLELAND Is:::::::: forever capped with snow, stood out against the sky like purest crystal. So clear-cut was it that it seemed but an hour or two away in the very path of the steamer. We had expected many pleasures in Mexico, but never such an introduction — as sublime as it was unex- pected. Waitc, photographe PEAK OF ORIZABA •e4 15 ^ :::::::::*• TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO m^i^ As if to punish us for our extravagant delight, mists and liaze soon closed like a curtain over all, to keep the coveted sight from our eyes for days to follow. An hour or two later, we approached the harbour of Vera Cruz, in the teeth of a rising storm, only too real this time. We anchored behind the protecting breakwater and went ashore in a small and shaky boat, which, soon after our landing, was swamped at her moorings. Within three minutes after reaching shore the wind increased to a hurricane, cutting off all com- munication with the steamer and our bao'iiaii'e. On the strength of the comforting!?) information tliat it was an unusually severe '" norther " and would last two or three days, in company with our stranded fellow ])ass- engers, we sadly sought accommodations in this most overcrowded and unsavoury of Mexican cities. To many of our party, the most enduring memory of these first two drearv davs will ever be tlu' stini>ine cultivated fields looked like squares on a checker-board, and the lierds of grazing cattle became tiny black dots. The most wonderful phenomenon of this ascent was the chansre in vegetation. Oranges and bananas were re- placed by plants of the temperate zone, and before the higliest ])()int was reached, the vistas of the tropical lowlands were framed in the needle-tracery of cold- loving pines. Three hours' travel on this train will teach one more of physical geography than three months of study. At Esperanza we were more than a mile above the level of the sea, and here the engines were changed, the big fellows to rest a day and to-morrow to slide gently back to Orizaba. As suddenly as we entered the mountains, so with- out warning we left them and found ourselves rushing along through clouds of dust across a plain, the begin- nin«- of the ""leat Mexican tableland, which extends •«4 '26 ^. Scott, photographer THE PEAK OF IXTACCIHUATL : THE "SLEEPING WOMAN :::n:::HE COAST AND TABLELAND as:::::::: from coast to coast. By far the larger part of this area which is seen from the train may be described as one enormous pulque patch, imUiue being- the national intoxicatino- drink. This is obtained from the maguey plant, great centiiry-plant-like growths which are about the only green things that will grow in Waite, photographer VIEW FROM ESPERANZA this saltpetre-permeated earth. The great spike-leaved plants are placed in rows about ten feet apart in each direction, and for mile after mile, league upon league, these rows reach to the horizon. As the train passes, the radiating oblique lines, focusing at one's eye, seem to revolve in a continuous, maddening, reeling whirl. .«4 29 •^" :::::::::*• TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B-:""- Waltr. photogniphiT CKATER OK POPOCATEPETL But Oiizalni was still in plain sight to soothe the most tired eyes. Lofty, sublime, chaste, it ever stands, with that wonderful character common to snow-capped peaks, of .seemino- to hang suspended in the air, with no touch of the earth beneath. The old Aztec pyra- mids of the Sun and Moon appeared, and were left behind, and finally the white heads of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl came into view. We found that Ori- zaba had left us few adjectives wherewith to express our admiration of the majestic beauty of these moun- tains, the "Smoking Mountain" and his mate the " Sleeping Woman ; " ])ut we began to realize, what became ever more true to us, that the volcanoes and snow peaks of Mexico are among the greatest pleasures <^ 30 4» ;:::::;:se COAST AND TABLELAND B:-""" this country has to give to a lover of God's Nature. The alkah dust rose thicker and penetrated everv crevice until we were almost smothered behind our wet handkerchiefs as Ave rumbled into the station of the City of Mexico. The capital city is Americanized to such an extent that it lacks the charm of a typical city of either country, and one may find a greater enjoyment and novelty in the more suburban parts, amid the beauty of the Vega Canal, or the stateliness of Chapultepec. Within the grounds of the latter historical place was a pitiful little zoological garden, perhaps the only one in the Republic. Here, in a few small, rickety cages, were some Mexican Deer, Peccaries, dogs, pigeons, and rabbits, a magnificent Harpy Eagle, and a forlorn Lioness. The cathedral, with its softened, incense-laden air, its quiet, impressive hush, so different from the bustle outside, seemed out of place on this side of the globe, so venerable and mediiieval is the effect it produces. This very day was being celebrated as its three hun- dred and sixtieth anniversary. Occasionallv, durino- our all-nioht ride westward from the capital, I peered out of the window of the sleeper into the dim light of the night, but imlque plants by moonlight were all that rewarded me. With the coming of dawn the country appeared more divers- ified, and fields of maize-stubble alternated with the ■■■■■«^ 31 ^ ::::::::»v TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO B^---: leagues of maguey — enough of the latter, one would think, to provide the whole world with delirium tre- mens. Birds became much more numerous. Cowbirds, in dense, compact flocks of a thousand or more, rose and whirled away in unison, and almost every good- sized tree had a Shrike perched on the topmost branch. The line of Sparrow Hawks on the telegraph wires was unbroken, about one to every eighth pole. They showed not the slightest fear of the passing train, and left their perch only when some large insect or small bird rose near Ijy. Twice we saw them attack Cow- birds almost as large as themselves, the two falling, fiercelv strusfirlinii', to the oTountl. We were told by au engineer who was an accurate observer of l)irds that occasionally these valiant little hawks were over- come l)y birds of greater strength than themselves, whicli tliey liad fearlessly attacked. Tlie momentary glimpse of some small ponds showed a vast assendjlage of ducks and wading birds and made us impatient for our journey's end. We found the Mexicans more and more interesting, and each little station offered something new. Blind musicians, who twanaed ouitars struu"; with eii>hteen strings, and chanted Paloma and other odd-timed Mexican or Spanish songs, were led beneath the windows. We were astonished to hear them all join at the end in screamina' the melody of '^ After the Ball is Over," and we wondered how that time-worn tune could have < ^2 >> :::"::::C COAST AND TABLELAND m::::::::: reached thus far. We Avere at fault in this, however, for these people have more right to the air than we. The plagiarism lies with us, for the air is an old, old Spanish one, and the musical words which the Mexicans use antedate by many years our frivolous verses. An old man approached and began to imitate famil- iar sounds ; a dog's bark, a cock's crow, a bird's trill- ing, were excellently rendered, and cuico ceiitavos made him happy. At each small station the throng was a strange, most jjicturesque one. Once a young- Mexican of twenty or thereabouts climbed on board and walked down the aisle of the car, looking curiously at everything, but never ceasing to knit a gaudy, red sweater-like affair. This feminine occupation was thrown into stronger relief by his large-calibred revolver and embroidered belt of cartridges. The Mexicans inwniouslv utilize the larcje crotches of trees as receptacles for stacks of fodder, and a tree thus filled to overflowino' with corn-stalks is a curious sight. The fodder is, by this means, kept out of the reach of hungry cattle and burros. A station often shoAvs nothing but a rickety, shed- like building, the town being at a distance and out of sight. In some cases the natives have reverted to cave- dwellings, hewn into the rocky cliffs, the entrances to which remind one of a colony of Bank Swallows on a gigantic scale. «4 ^^ ^ "' :::::::::C T^YO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B-— " All these, and a liuiidied other impressions, held our interest before we backed down into our last stop- ping-place, the Estacloii de Guadalajara. They left us with a confused but realistic appreciation of the strangeness and isolation of this sister republic of ours, whose land adjoins us, and yet whose ways and cus- toms are separated from ours by centuries of time and a vast degree of culture. MUSICIANS CHAPTER III WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY ARLY on New Year's Day Ave were awak- ened by the song of birds — not the morn- ino- carols of those we were so eager to see and hear, but an ahiiost continuous series of clarion tones from hundreds of roosters. Far and near they flapped and crowed and crowed again, and our patio rang with the sound. Before the last few lingering crows died away, dozens of church bells began to toll, some sonorous and slow and others Avith frantic clangs. Succeeding these, more or less expert buglers chimed in, scores from the various barracks blowing loudly if not well. Apparently the reveUle was the object of most of their efforts, certain individ- uals sounding taps, which made up in vigour of blast what was lacking in appropriateness. Our Guadalajara home was well on the outskirts of the city, in easy walking distance of the fransvia, which, behind three galloping mules, shrieked along the uneven rails and afforded rapid transit to the plaza. Several minutes' walk in the opposite direction, and the narrow street frayed out into a few straggling, thatched huts, beyond which stretched the level sun- «4 37 ^ :::::::::*? T^YO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO B-"'--" burnt plain which separated the city from the surround- ing hills. The air in early morning was as keen and fresh as that which blows across a Nova Scotia upland, and we forgot that we were well south of the Tropic of Cancer. The pumice which crackled underfoot showed why the poor grass and weeds shrivel at the first lack of moisture at the beginning of this rainless season. There was nothing in the level country extending be- fore us mile upon mile, to suggest that we were at an altitude above the clouds of distant New York — a mile above the sea. We almost expected to see the Mexican clouds appear close overhead, perhaps just clearing the fields as they floated along. But here they were, as high as ever above the ground. A little distance beyond the last hut, we came upon a number of bare-legged, sandalled Mexicans shivering in their red serajjcs. Thev had scraped away the sur- face covering of pumice and were grubbing up a bed of clay — literally making " bricks without straw." This recalls one of the greatest delights of city life in Mexico — the house with a jxifio or open central court, brio-ht with sunlijiht all day and oHstening in the stiir- lisrht or moonliii'ht at nioht. Yet in such a house one lives more secluded than in a solid American dwelling. It is an ideal home for such a climate as this — perpet- ual camping out. We realized why these adobe houses blended so ^ 38 ^ :::::::::C WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY m::::::::: naturally into the landscape, seeming more like nat- ural dunes or mounds than artificial productions of mankind. Here we stood and watched these dusky natives hew out the very ground, add a little water, mould into large rectangles, pile one upon the other, and lo ! one's house is built ! No wonder the outer walls become lichened and weathered as soon as they are erected. The adventitious vines and weeds which sprout from wall and roof grow from seeds which, like the Egyptian Avheat kernels, may have been long buried beneath the barren pumice. A home well worth living in, where one can plant flowers and vines in the walls from base to roof, where one's window-pot of bloom may root, not in the pots, but in the very window-sill itself ! Whv not a kitchen oarden orowins: on the kitchen, where are earthen furrows, instead of lapping shingles ! How close to Nature one seems to live thus ! closer to Mother Earth than did Thoreau at Walden ; and yet when this framework of mud is clothed within with clean plaster, in rooms cool-tiled and with ceiHngs of taut linen, sleep and study and the joy of very life come in pleasantest forms. It is in the makino- of g-ardens and to the lover of flowers that one thinks of a. jxitio as ideal. Pitiful is the remembrance of the unfortunate plants which strug- gle for life in the steam-heated houses of the North, when we see our Mexican indoor, open-air garden. -94 39 ^ ::::::::»x TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO >*::".■:::: Coffee-trees are beaded with their red fruit, carnation and oreranium bushes reflect brilhant masses of colour. To walk to parlour or dining-room we pass strawberries, great heliotropes, and climbing ferns, and all through the moonlight nights, the odour of unpicked violets and gardeuias passes like incense throughout the whole house. What city veranda or back yard can compensate for the deliiiht of bein<»- able to recline on one's couch and watch the wonderful hummingl)irds, attracted by the flowers, shoot down into one's very house, or again in the dusk when those ghosts of hummingbirds — great grav si)hinx moths visit the /tatio. uncoiling their long tongues and drawing up the sweet nectar from the calyxes ! But to return to the fields which stretched beyond the makers of bricks. It is not diflicult to describe a Guadalajara winter landscai)e where the last drop of nu)isture fell in October, and the sun shines unclouded by storm until the following June. Here and there, far apart, we saw large mesquite-trees, but besides these the eve rested only on maize-fields, with the brown stalks of the last crop still standing. These fields are divided off, not by fences of stone or wire, but by ditches eight to ten feet in depth and as many wide, while along each side runs a fringe of tall cactus, mak- ing trespassing often a diflicult and painful process. These inverted fences are to drain off the excess water <4 40 ^ :^iM WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY ?*::::::::: during the season of rains, but we found them useful for reasons of our own. Our progress was at first discouraging. The way was hot and dusty, and the cornstalks crashed under the lightest step, alarming all the birds for yards around. At last, while watching a hummingbird A GUADALAJARA DITCH ^ 41 ^ :::::::::*f TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B-— through my glasses, I slipped and fell into a ditch and I remained there the rest of the day, not because of inability to get out, but because I found these ditches most delightful and profitable places in which to ram- ble. Ramifying as they do about every field, Ave made our way in any direction without ascending to the ground above. The broad green pads of the cactus archinof overhead shut out the olare of the sun, while the lacework skeletons of the fallen leaves made our footsteps noiseless. But all this was to little advantage if these sunken avenues offered no attractions to the birds and other wild creatures. Our most sanguine hopes were realized, as future walks demonstrated. Not only did the l)irds and small beasts rush to the protection of the ditches when alarmed in the open fields, but here many had their liomes, here the birds roosted at night, and a much larger number found their food by day. We might have rambled for weeks tlirough the fields, and have credited this semi-desert region with a much more meairre fauna than was concentrated in these cool and pleasant alleys, where we were as secluded as if miles awav from the city, iilthough in reality only a few hundred yards from tlie end of the streets. The Desert Sparrow Hawks' were as abundant and ' Two Sparrow Hawks which were shot by a young Mexican were typical of the Western race phalatin. Whether our common Eastern form was represented we could not determine, as we were not able to distinguish the characteristics in the living birds. *::::::::: breast, and white-tipped tail of this bird make it easy to know at sight. It has not the trace of a crest, yet a habit of often raising the feathers on its head would certainly lead a casual observer to credit the bird with such an ornament. No lover of birds need be ashamed of the exclama- tion "Purple Finches!" which he would be sure to utter at first siiiht of the larue Hocks of birds in the fields, and often in the very streets of Guadalajara. They are House Finches, and although belonging to the same genus and very like in plumage to the pnr- jnirens of our Nortliern cedars, yet they are radically different in habits. Like the Bob-Wbites and certain other birds, the House Finches of Mexico are split up geographically into eight or nine races, and the sub- species inbabiting this region is designated the Cuer- navaca House Fincli. They are the English Sparrows of Guadalajara, and they are indeed a vast improve- ment on that interloper. Their delightful colouring and sweet, warbling song, uttered often from the dusty streets, made us realize all the more forcibly the total lack of charm of J^asser domesticKS. Sometimes about sunset fifty or a hundred of these House Finches in all stages of colouring — from brown through parti- coloured hues to pink or dee]) rose — would rise from the fields and pass with a slow, fluttering Hight over our heads westward, all singing their sweetest. It was a most unexpected pleasure, repeated again and again. *^ 46 ^ :::r.::::^x WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY ;*::::::::: CUERNAVACA HOUSE FINCH Apparently their song was as perfect now in January as duriuQ; the nestino- season, a few months later. Once and once only did I see the Arizona Pyrrhu- loxia in Mexico. My sudden but fortunate descent into the ditch alarmed a pair of birds which flew up and gave me a full view of their beauties — Cardinal-like ...........4^ 47 ^ ■ :::::::::=»£ TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO Is:::::::: in action and crest, ])iit a delicate light gray in colour. The female bird had just a suggestion of rose upon throat and breast, but her mate, perching with half- opened wings, glowed with the pure warm colour from forehead, breast, underwings, and Hanks. After a minute both birds disappeared and evaded all further search. No matter liow dried up a phice appears, some Hower or plant finds nourishment enough to grow, and the ditches and corn-fields of a Guadalajara midwinter were no exception. Tall, thistle-like Mexican poppies sent forth their pale, lemon-coloured flowers, brighten- ing the dusty plain, and among the weeds growing from the sides of the trenches were multitudes of tall stalks bearing long, pendulous, scarlet blossoms, a spe- cies of wild lobeHa. Our favourites among the few blossoms of this season were little wild ground ver- benas which pur[>led the parched furrows in many places. Their leaves were brittle, their roots seemed as dry as a husk, yet they managed somehow to grow and blossom in nund>ers. The most interesting objects for the botanists were the many curious seed-pods of the weeds and other plants hereabouts, from the great fruit clusters of the castor-oil plants to the tiniest of seed-plumes. As we rambled through the trenches we sometimes brushed against a mass of large golden globes, strung close together along the leafless twigs of the plant — «4 48 ^ :::::::::*: WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY m::::::::: brittle and five-sided and as light as air. Thev re- minded one in shape somewhat of the sea-jellies {Beroe) which drift in the currents of the ocean. And the simile is not confined to the exterior, for within liangs a small round sac containing the tiny flat brown seeds, just as, in certain of the animal jelly-fishes, the pendu- lous stomach is swung. Out of curiosity I counted the seeds in one of these seed-vessels and found two hun- dred and fifty-three. A single branch which I brought home with seventv-nine globes would, therefore, scat- ter some eighteen thousand fruit. The least touch or SEED-PODS :::r.::::*< TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO j*--"-: breath of air sets each of these many seeds vibrating witliin their hollow spheres, producing a sweet, sifting tinkle, comparable to nothing I have ever heard in Nature. In the Guadalajara ditches we began to realize that Mexico is a land of thorns and spines. Indeed the seeds are about equally divided between those furnished with hooks or spines, and tliose intended to be wafted away by the wind. One low, spreading bush has a double chance for distributing its seeds. When it dries up, the stalk breaks oil" almost at the first l)reath of air, and the light, tliorny mass, more or less globular in shape, is rolled and tunil)led far across the fiekls. Several times a number of these buslies blew toward us so rap- idly that we could not escape them, althougli we knew from experience that mucli time and patience would be necessary to free our clothing from the barbed and rebarbed burrs. How we wished for handbooks to name all the seeds and plants, but the ])rice one must pay for the pleasure of raml)ling among birds and flowers in a little-known country is that one must, like Adam, give his own arbi- trary common names to many of tlie objects he ob- serves. It is very disappointing, too, when one returns and finds that an appropriate title which one has bestowed and which, from daily repetition for months, has become closely associated with the bird or flower, must be replaced by the name of some describer or «4 50 ^ :::::::::C WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY >*::::::::: prefaced, in some instances, by an adjective neither euphonious nor appropriate. The most abundant objects in the ditches were grass- hoppers which tumbled down from the fields above and could not escape. So here the birds found a feast con- tinually renewed, where they might eat their fill from morning until night. The White-rumped Shrikes knew of this ample supply, but had to manoeuvre carefully to keep out of sight of their rivals, the Sparrow Hawks. These beautiful butcher-birds kept close to the cactus tangles. Twice we saw small birds attacked and killed by the shrikes, and each time, although the onslaught was made among a large flock of Clay-coloured Spar- rows, it was a Western Grasshopper Sparrow which was the victim. Who can tell the reason for this? Did the glint of gold on the wings of the little finches catch the shrike's eye, or did some slight lack of skill in dodo'inof turn the balance of fortune aaainst them ? If only we might take, at such moments as these, the " bird's-eye- view " of the shrike, many problems of evolution and the " survival of the fittest " would become plain ! One feathered inhabitant of the cactus ditches eluded identification for a long time. It was a " ch unky " brown bird, looking more like a big female English Sparrow than anything else, but with a knack of slipjDing out of sight just before one could focus one's glass. At last we traced it to Pqnlo, although it little resembled our «4" 51 "^ :::::C TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO >*:.":::::: Northern Chewink in actions. PlpUo fuscus brought us nearer to its special name, but not until later did we learn that its common name was a literal translation — Brown Towhee. While we were in Mexico, it was to us " fipilo fusciis,^' which slipped behind the cactus screen or skinnned up and over the adobe walls — more mouse than bird. A closely related but much handsomer bird was the Green-tailed Towhee, not a F'qjilo despite his name, but intermediate structurally between the true towhees and the group of White-throated Sparrows. It cer- tainly reminded one of l)oth groups. Like the Brown Towhee it kept to the weed tangles of the ditches where it was easily watched as it fed on the small seeds and the lesser grasshoppers. It is strikingly marked with a rufous, almost red cap, and a wliite throat, grayish ffreen above and briuliter iri'een on tlie winofs and tail, A mewing note, like that of a Ked-eved Vireo, was the most common utterance of this bird. Day after day tiny green-garbed warblers traversed the ditches, confidiiiglv seeking tlieir diet of smallest insects, within a few feet of us. W hat could they be? We puzzled and puzzled over them in vain. At last I secured one and we made sure of the identification, — scientifically, IlpItiiiiifhojtJiila celafa hde.scois { Ridg- way) ; commonly, the Lutescent Warbler. To my mind a bird in the bush is worth a whole fiock in the skin drawer, but the characters of modern classification «4 52 #* ::::::::3K WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY m:::::::" often require more than the eye and the opera-glass can reveal. And indeed, aside from the delicate grad- ations of colour and form, it is often a most difficult thing to recognize on sight, a bird, the description of which one has read several weeks previously. Some character seems to be added or something lacking, such is the effect of the environment and the excite- ment of seeing a new bird for the first time. We took our meals at the delightful El Sanatorio, where one finds a haven of "ood American cookinjr in a land of beans and fried unleavened corn-cakes. The two-storied patio was always filled with flowers, great geraniums and heliotropes making the air fragrant by day ; and the immaculate cereus blossoms pouring forth their perfume in the moonlight. During Janu- ary and February the entire front of the building was a mass of purple BougaininUea. What a source of curiosity a naturalist and his wife are to fellow boarders ! Many people seem incapable of believing that anv one can be so foolish as to waste time in watching birds and insects for mere pleasure. When we would return from one of our camping trijjs, this one w^ould have a suspicion that I was secretly prospecting for gold ; another would be sure that I was surreptitiously locating marketable timber. But finally one and all expressed astonishment that they had been living so long with eyes blinded to the beautiful thinos of the world. Thev beran to realize that the «4 53 ^ :::::::::*; TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO Sfe""'"- birds of the surrounding gardens and fields were more than " just birds ; " that they had colours and songs, traits and habits, interesting because of the hidden meanings of each — for protection or recognition, for safety of themselves, their mates, or their young. And behold, the pure gospel of God's out-of-doors had won more converts ! Then they began to flood us with questions. To satisfy them all would have necessitated giving up manv walks and rides. So we turned over to them Mrs. Bailey's '* Handbook of Western Birds," which we had found so useful, and many and strange were the discoveries that they made. We ourselves knew only too little about Mexican birds ; but when marvellous notes of pink-breasted, blue-eyed hawks and lonff-lesriTcd hunnniuiibirds were ffiven us in all good faith for verification, we gave uj). It is indeed remarkable how differently a bird will appear to a num- ber of untrained observers. W^hether owino- to a wide- spread partial colour-bHndness, or to the elusive glints of sunlight on a l)ird's plumage, the range of colours and size with which a single unfortunate bird may be endowed, is astonishing ! Althougli in our Avalks about Guadalajara we saw thousands upon thousands of cactus-trees, their strange structure and appearance never ceased to impress us. There was nothing to which they could be compared ; the great trunks and massive branches were very dif- ferent from those in our Northern conservatories. Only «4 54 ^ :::::::;:«? WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY xfe:::j::: in the tubular yellow flowers does the nopal cactus seem to have affinity Avitli other plants. These flowers spring adventitiously from the sides and edges of the pulpy, spiny pads — one can hardly call them leaves. A discovery which was as interesting to us as though we were the first to record it was that the oval pad is the unit of which the entire tree is composed. The two or three terminal pads were usually bright green and covered with groups of the unpleasant spines. The next was greenish brown in hue, with blunted spines and the succeeding ones merged more and more com- pletely into one another, at the same time becoming thicker and developing a false kind of bark. This resulted in a rough, brown-barked trunk and sj^ineless branches, which appeared identical with those of old, gnarled apple-trees. A close examination would, how- ever, show faint traces, down to the very ground, of the internodes between the units. How curious, too, when a dead branch fell, to see a tightly wrapped bundle of delicate lace fibres instead of splinters and decayed wood. We wondered how the birds could alight so suddenly upon the spiny pads without being wounded. Indeed one Lark Sparrow was impaled as it attempted to dart through a maze of the sharp points. But mockinobirds and towhees, finches and shrikes seemed never to hesitate an instant in perching. Two species of hummingbirds were always to be found along the ditches, conspicuous to eye and ear. «4 "55 ¥^ ::::::::»x TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO ^p:::::::: When first we caught sight of a tiny form perched upon a twig, we reahzed that we were indeed in a new workl of birds, for this was no Ruby-throat. To our Eastern eyes this was a strange, foreign bird ; but a Cahfornian woukl have recognized it at once. It was the Costa Hummingbird, Hke ourselves, a winter visitor to tliese parts. His mite of a body was green above and whitish below, while his head was encased in a marvellous helmet of burnished violet, an ame- thystine scale armour, which flashed blue, green, and violet by turns. This was the most abundant hum- mingbird of the Guadalajara ditches, during the first week in Januarv. The first individual at which we had a good look proved to be in exceptionally perfect plumage. The others of his kind were young birds in moult, with the iridescent feathers few and scattered, the majoritv l)eing still buried in their enfolding sheaths. After a week all the individuals of this spe- cies disappeared and we saw no more during our stay. A second hummingbird, typical of the ditches, was clad in green and buff, with a gorget of gold, green, and fiery red. This was the Rufous Hummingbird, and we were glad to see him in the life ; for his fame as a traveller had long been known to us. Here he was near the northern limit of his winter home ; but in the spring his race will hum away to the mountains of the North, some content to nest in the higher altitudes of the Western States, but many brave little fellows «^ 56 -^ :::::::::rSx: WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY m::::::::: traversing Canada, on and on until they sight the snow j3eaks of Mt. St. Ehas in Alaska, far north of Sitka. The little fellows were ever squeaking and humming about our ears, disputing our invasion of their hunt- in of-o-rounds. These noisy little cJmparosas, — flower-suckers, — as the Mexicans call them, not only flicked the insects from the flower-cups, but spent much time humming through the ditches, low over the ground. We could not imagine their errand, as it seemed hardly possible that they were attracted by the grasshoppers, some of which had bodies larger and heavier than their own. A struofo-le between a Rufous Hummingbird and a giant hopper would indeed be exciting ! What a sight it would be to see the wee bird perched vulture-like upon the huge insect and dismembering it ! When, by patient watching and the dissection of one hummingbird's stomach, we discovered the truth, we found it indeed to be more strange than fiction. Like almost all the birds of the ditches the humming- birds were really feeding chiefly upon grasshoppers. The sentinel Sparrow Hawks seemed to capture the largest insects, pulling them apart before swallowing. Those which were snatched up by the shrikes were of a smaller size, while the finches and lesser sparrows fed upon the partly grown hoppers. We were delighted to find that this corresponding diminution in size, correlat- ing the birds and their food, was even carried a step ■ «^ 57 ^ ::::::::»x TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO >»-"•":•" farther, so that the tiny hummingbirds were provided for. Wee harlequin grasshoppers, gaudily attired in black and white, yellow and red, were snapped up by the score and were just of a size for a mouthful for a chiiparosa. These miniature grasshoppers were full grown and widely distributed throughout the country. After a moment's silence in one of the cactus-shaded ditches, the little inhabitants with fur and scales made their presence known by sudden scamperings and dartings here and there. It was here we began to learn the lesson which week after week in Mexico en- forced, that a rustle among the leaves, slight or \'igor- ous, nine times out of ten was made by a lizard, the commotion being out of all proportion to the size of the reptile. A forty-inch Iguana could steal almost noiselessly through a mass of brittle leaves, while the flight of a diminutive "blue-tail." not more than three inches from head to tail-tip, would sometimes sound like a whole band of scratching towhees or white-throats. It was hard not to watch instinctively for the supposed bird in the near-bv bush, and the minutes we s])ent at first in this fruitless wav, if collected, would equal many hours. Pouched rats ( Geomys) were very abundant in the ditches, and scores of their burrows tunnelled the sides. We occasionally caught one in a box-trap and made it turn out the contents of its capacious cheeks. «4 58 > JALISCO POUCHED RAT (Showing clieek pouches) :::::::::*; WALKS IX THE CACTUS COUNTRY B::::::::: It was astonishing: to see the amount of seeds which one of these creatures could pack on each side of its yellow incisors. No wonder the weeds produced seeds in such quantities if the Pouched Rat was only one of many creatures which enjoyed the sweet meat of the embryo jjlants. These rats were very pugnacious and constantly fought among themselves, chasing one another and clinching — biting severely, if we judge from the sharpness of the squeaks which pro- ceeded from the rolling, tumbling combatants. Spermophiles — prairie-dog-like, but with their backs decorated with white lines and dots — surprised us by peeping out of the entrances of their ditch homes and squeaking excitedly to each other the moment we disappeared around a bend. When a towhee was startled by us and saw no means of escape, it some- times darted into the nearest hole, from which, if the inhabitant was a Spermophile, the bird was promptly ejected by the owner, — choosing the less immediate danger of flying out past our very faces. One could not take a walk on the outskirts of the city without noticing the miniature whirlwinds, six or «4 59 ^ ::::::;:se TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO BJ"""- eight often being in sight at onee. On the alkah plains these reached their highest development, but here among the corn-stubble we could watch their formation and motion on a lesser scale. When the air about us w-as perfectly calm, a circling of dust might begin fif- teen or twenty feet away, which increased in strength and velocity until the vortex was plainly discernible. It usually moved steadily in one direction, but would sometimes make a sharp angle without warning. The dust and debris were now drawn up until a wavering brown finger extended fifty feet or more into the air. The summit tapered to a thread and the whole was fre(puM»tly thrown into violent contortions without breaking the continuity. Such a column might pass unchanged out of sight, or it might break off at the base, and the mass of leaves and dust go sailing up througii the air, until some counter-current interrupted the whirling, and the particles drifted to earth. Some- times a sparrow was surprised at his feast of weed- seeds and as he took to wing, his feathers were ruffled and his balance almost upset l)y the aerial maelstrom. There were certain birds which, like the House Finches, identified themselves with the city itself and, indeed, with almost all the larger towns and villages in Mexico. Not an English Sparrow seemed to have found its way to this fortunate country, and taking the place of these feathered i)ests was the dainty Audubon Warbler, which is almost identical with our well- -04 60 ^ :::::::;:C WALKS IN THE CACTUS COUNTRY m::::::::: known Myrtle Warbler of the Eastern United States, except that the throat of the former is yellow instead of white. But ours is a bird of the w^oods and parks, wdiile the Audubon haunts the jitttios and adobe walls, showing the utmost familiarity with men and animals. Every city had its corps of feathered scavengers of which Audubon Warbler was the least, as the Turkey Vulture was the greater. For the little bird had for- saken the trees and insects, which elsewhere are its natural habitat and food, and found more to its liking among the tortilla and frijole crumbs, with perhaps a sprinkling of the spiders which so love the ill-kept patios of the poorer classes. Although we occasionally found it far from the haunts of men, yet we shall always associate the yellow, gray, and black of this warbler ^Wth the heart of the tow^ns. Almost as familiar and tame were the little Inca Doves, scaled from head to foot and with long, tapering tails. These brown, liobbing forms of the dust flew up with a flurry of wings from beneath our feet on almost every pathway. They had as little fear of man as the chickens and pigs which disputed the right of way. Two species of grackles, or blackbirds, were always found in the parks and gardens of Mexican cities, at least in winter, — the small, yellow-eyed, iridescent Brewer Grackle, and the grandest of aU his kind, the Great-tailed Grackle. The latter was a conspicuous feature of all the public p/«2:o8 and parks, its black «4 61 -^ ;:::::::se TWO BIRD-LOVERS IX MEXICO ae:::::::; form flapping slowly past, with sharp-keeled tail spread wide behind. Their voices were surprisingly musical — for grackles — and contrasted strongly with the harsh utterances of the other blackbirds and cowbirds. One of the sweetest of bird voices was heard about the adobe houses of the city every day — the drop- ping song of the Mexican Canyon Wren, but, as in the song of a caged bird, something seemed lacking, some quality which we knew should be in the strain, although we now heard it for the first time. These little dark- feathered bundles of tireless energy would creep like mice up the adobe walls, and from the top the white throats would pour forth the gushing floods of melody. Later, on our camping trips to the wild harrancds and sroi'ires, we heard the Canyon AVren in his true home and his song at its best — a dominant strain in the melody of Mexican Nature. The beauty of tlie birds' natural wild environment gave to them and to their song a charm which was absent in the birds of Guada- lajara. After our return to the city, memory always supplied the rocks, the ferns, the accompaniment o£ falhng water, the — something lacking. Once, shortly before we said good-bye to the country of which we have grown so fond, when " Senorita " was overcome by the heat, a Canyon Wren flew into the open patio window, perched on a chair-l)ack, and sang his little song with all his might — soothing pain with a flood of pleasant memories. ::::;:::»x TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO B^""-- Nature has given this duck an awkward, heavy-looking bill, which, however, serves a most useful purpose ; but she has more than made it up in the beauty of colourino- of the plumage — a livery of white, black, green, chest- nut, and delicate blue. A quartet of Cinnamon Teal sprang into the air from where they had been feeding at our feet. This was a species of duck new to us, easily recognized by the bright cinnamon colour on head, neck, and breast. Here were three birds in sight marked with that pale, beautiful blue — one of the most delicate of Nature's hues. The dense mass of water hyacinths, for many yards around, was eaten close to the level of the water, testifying to the abundance of wild birds at this spot. The coots now reached the opposite bank, twenty feet away, and settled down for a naj) or walked slowly about. Tlieir j)eculiar curtailed appearance gave them a lifeless, wooden effect which was increased by their awkward gait, lifting higli their great green-lobed toes. If one were to remodel a coot it would seem more rea- sonable to reduce tlie size and weight of its feet and add somewhat to the diminutive wliite bill. But Nature has fashioned the bird thus in order that it may safely tread upon the (piaking marsh and pick out the small snails and worms from amonjj the thread-like roots of the hyacinths. As we continued our walk along the stream, the lake came suddenly into view, and a beautiful sight was «4 74 "^ ::::;:::aK OASIS AND DESERT 3^:::::::: before us. Less than fifty yards away a company of two or three hundred ducks were sunning themselves, all crowded together on the bank. On a promontory still nearer was a flock of seven or eight hundred White- GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CAPTIVE WILD BIRDS faced Glossy Ibises, many sleeping balanced on one leg, others preening their feathers. Two large grebes, per- haps the Western species, floating out near the middle of the lake, completed the tale of the water-birds. Beyond a field of alfalfa, with its dense green foliage shot wdth the blue flower-heads, was a stone wall, and on this two great American Ravens were busily engaged in feeding upon something which they held down with their feet. At first o-lance we thouo^ht it must be the :::::::::*? T^YO BIRD- LOVERS IN :mexico B:"""- bodies of small birds, but we soon observed the ravens flvino; back and forth from the stream, each time bringing a hyacinth plant, Avhicli they carried to the stone wall and carefully examined, evidently devouring the many small snails and worms which found shelter among the roots. The most conspicuous flycatcher of the cactus coun- try was the Ash-throated, a noisy bird, feeding chiefly on the insects attracted by the cactus blossoms, and when these were scarce, devouring many varieties of small flesliy fruits. It was very similar to our North- ern friend the Crested Flycatcher, but was paler yel- low below, and, as its common name implies, its throat was almost white. As the two ravens rose at our a})proacli, one of these flycatchers ap})eared from a field beyond, and kingbird-like, gave a thrashing to first one and then the other, descending with his full force u})()n head and back and more than once sending flull's of black to the ground. When both ravens had disapj)eared, the flycatcher returned and instantly gave his attention to a Western Red-tailed Hawk. Uttering his loud che-hoo' ! che-lioo ! the brave little creature dashed at the bird of prey, striking blow after blow, the hawk meanwhile never attempting to retaliate, but making every effort to escape from his small tormentor. Thus early in our trip the Ash-throated Flycatcher established a repu- tation for bravery which it always sustained. «4 76 h ::::::::sE OASIS AND DESERT ae:::::::: We learned that early in the morning even greater numbers of ducks congregated here, so one day an early start brought us to the Blue Water before the mornino' chill was out of the air. A search some dis- tance upstream revealed a fallen log bridge, which we crossed, and, hidden by the tall undergrowth, we made our way down to the marsh bordering the lake itself. Crouching among the reeds at the edge, we enjoyed an uninterrupted view of this paradise of water-birds. Hundreds of rippling wakes intersected each other as coots, gallinules, ducks of many species, and occasion- ally sandpipers, swam here and there ; the webbed swimmers turning tail upward and gleaning from the muddy bottom ; the snipes and sandpipers scurrying in the shallows. Out near the centre of the shallow lake, near the edge of a small islet, were several birds Avhicli we had lono- looked forward to seeino^ — Black- necked Stilts. Perfectly unconscious of being watched, they were taking an early morning bath, doubling up their slender legs and beating the water with their wings, exactly as flamingoes bathe. When thoroughly wet they flew one after another to a mud-bank, shook the water from their plumage in a shower of drops, and arranged every feather in place, standing in a row facino; the rising- sun. Ducks whistled close over our heads, arriving in small flocks and settling upon the water with a slither which raised a multitude of ripples. And now a louder «4 77 ■$» ::::::::»v TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO 3fe::""" wing-beat drew our eyes upward and a dozen cormo- rants — the Mexican species doubtless — shot past. Herons began to arrive — Great Bhies, which sailed gracefully to the open water and alighted, becoming stiff and narrow, shapeless things until, assured that all was safe, they picked their way slowly about. Little Green Herons came close to us, creeping like shadows among the reeds, and snatching at the big flies which buzzed about. Seven beautiful American Egrets trailed one after the other to the willows on the island and alighted, but they did not descend to the water during our visit. AMERICAN EGRET, CAPTIVE WILD BIRD ::::::::3e OASIS AND DESERT as;::;:::: They called up a host of pleasant memories ; for we last saw these rare birds a year ago when the sun was setting across the waters of the Indian River in Florida. It was difficult to realize that even here, far south of the Tropic of Cancer, we were yet at only the very northern part of the egrets' range. Their white forms are found from here to the lao-oons of Pataoonia. They ask nothing from man, save leave to feed upon the fish and snails of the swamps, and they offer their beauty of form and feather to make a beautiful land still more beautiful. Hitherto man's love of 2"old and woman's vanity have overbalanced all humane and aesthetic sentiments. May some good fortune protect the egrets in the wild fastnesses of the southern con- tinent, so that our country may, little by little, be restocked with these beautiful creatures ! The smaller sandpipers were legion in number, run- ning back and forth along the edge of the water. The greatest surprise which the Blue Water had to offer came when we were about to rise from our cramped positions. Without warning, five birds appeared from among the thick reeds at our left and walked quickly, with mincing steps, to the water's edge, where they mingled unnoticed with the lesser waders. We knew them at once for jacanas. This quintet of birds at once absorbed our attention. We had read that the colours of the plumage of the Mexican Jacana were mostly black and a rich, dark chestnut ; but from observing • «4 79 ^- ::::;::::*; TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO B:-"""" these birds we should not have known it, so chans-e- able were their feathers under the rays of the early morning- sun. All that was lacking- was for them to perforin their wing-dance, such as Hudson describes in the case of a South American species. This was denied us, but they had a way of raising first one wino- and then the other straight up, showing- plainly the horny spur at the bend of the wing. This action w\is as graceful as it was inexplicable. The long- thin toes and claws showed how easily they could pick their way over the floating lily-pads. The conspicuous shield of orange skin spi-ead out upon the forehead was another bizarre touch in the appearance of tliese strange birds. When at last they sprang into the air for a short flight, each wing trave forth flash after flash of rich yellow; and by this characteristic we were always able to detect the presence of this species, even among a hundred other birds. The roar of win*::::j::: to ocean. The tail was the most prominent feature of this little personality, black, bordered with white, very long in proportion to its body, and forever flirted from side to side. The gnatcatchers stood between the hummingbirds and the larger feathered kindred in the matter of fearlessness, and while never showing the almost insect-like lack of fear of the chuparosas, yet they were often willing to trust themselves within two or three feet of our tents and persons. We found numbers of last year's nests of the Sinaloa Wren, the owners of which were about, but very wary and shy. The nests were well-made struc- tures of twigs and fine grass, globular in shape, with a small round opening in one side. They Avere conspicu- ous, but safely lodged among the impenetrable thorny acacias. Although these nests were so elaborately roofed over, the wasps' nests which we found were entirely open, often consisting solely of a single layer of comb built out horizontally from a twig. One such comb had been constructed within six inches of the entrance to the nest of a wren. A tiny bit of broken shell matted into the bottom of one of these nests Avas the only zoological find which marked our winter's trip. It was at the very edge of this little nameless stream that we came upon a strange sight — a drowned Burrowing Owl at the mouth of its tunnel. What per- version of instinct or faulty experience ever led it to ~ «4 101 ^ :::::::::^v two BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO B:-'""" scratch out its burrow so close to the water, and espe- cially on the lower side? Perhaps while still at work the rush of water throug-h the walls overwhelmed the little tunneller, certainly but a few minutes before we discovered it, as its body was still warm, and no vulture had yet spied it. Strange coincidence of two unusual tragedies to befall creatures of the wild — a Lincoln tjtl NESTS OF WASPS AXU SIXALOA WREN .- <4 10^2 ^ :::::::::m THE MESQUITE WILDERNESS m::::;:::: Sparrow not ten feet away lay ruffled and torn in the centre o£ a tiny thorn weed, where it had in some way become entangled, and its succeeding struggles only bound it the tighter. The vanguard of the million ants which soon would overrun the little ball of bedraggled feathers was already on the scene ^\^th antennse playing eagerly, Avhile a few couriers Avere speeding nestward at topmost speed to spread the news. As we approached the little gorge which the falling stream had carved for itself down the side of the great barranca, several Wilson Snipe sprang up, with a harsh note, from the dense undergrowth of watercress, and zio'zas"a;ed out of sio-ht. Thev had been feedino- on the small snails and worms in the brook-bed. If their fare was as toothsome and tender as we found the cress, their hesitation in taking to wing was not without reason. The water-loving plants were here as large as lettuce and yet most delicate. It was late afternoon as we seated ourselves on the brow of the great chasm and watched the shadow creep slowly up toward us, first darkening the semi-tropical undergrowth near the bottom. Slowly but surely it came, dulling the boulders and flowing like a phan- tom tide of darkness along the ancient lines of beaches which for age upon age have watched the silver stream at the bottom cutting its way ever deeper, leaving their wave-worn nakedness ever farther upward. Suddenly over our heads and on each side poured «4 103 ^ ::::::::»v TWO BIRD- LOVERS IN MEXICO Afe:::-::: a living stream of birds, — Mourning Doves, — perhaps already restless with the first hints of the drawing northwai'd, or this might have been their regular even- ing gathering. They came by dozens and scores from far and near in the mesquite, stopping a moment to dip their bills, dove-fashion, deep in the clear waters of the brook, and drinking long and thirstily, then hurlin"- themselves over the barranca wall to some roosting-place, far below the surface of the tableland. And now as the sun's disk silhouettes the upraised arms of an organ cactus on the opposite summit, scat- tered scjuads of another army of birds appear and focus to their nightly rendezvous — the White-necked Ravens of the whole world seem to be passing, so great are their numbers. As far as the eye can see, each side of the canyon gives up its complement of black forms ; one straggling ahead uttering now and then a deep, hoarse-voiced croak. From all the neighbouring coun- try they pour in, passing low before us, one and all disappearing in the black depths of a narrow, boul- der-framed jioro-e. A raven comes circlinof down from above and instantly draws our eye to what we have not noticed before, a vast black cloud of the birds soar- ing above the harranca with all the grace of flight of vultures. The cloud descends, draws in upon itself, and, becoming funnel-shaped, sifts slowly through the twilight into the gorge where the great brotherhood of ravens is united and at rest. ^ 104 >» ::::::::»x THE MESQUITE WILDERNESS m::::::::: When the first whispers of the night-sounds rise from the heart of the barranca there is nothino' to hint of the thousands of sleeping feathered forms which have intrusted themselves to the shelter of the mighty depths of Mother Earth. s g^ ,ii 5^^^^r ^;i&fc_'.X^i«;^.. /*J K^^ ^ THE MESQUITE WILDERNESS CHAPTER VI THE •VLmSHES OF CIL^PALA UR visit to the oasis of Afj}ia AzuJ was one of many delights, but Avhen the mar- vel of the bird-life of Lake Chapala and its marshes revealed itself to us, the feel- ings we experienced cannot be put into words ; such one feels at a first glance through a great telescope, or perhaps when one gazes in wonder upon the distant earth from a balloon. At these times, one is for an instant outside of his petty personality and a part of, a realizer of, the cosmos. Here on these waters and marshes we saw, not individuals or flocks, but a u'orhl of birds ! Never before had a realization of the untold solid l»ulk in numbers of the l»irds of our continent been impressed so vividly upon us. And the marvel of it all was the more imj^ressive because of its unexpect- edness. A hot, breathless day found our little cavalcade passing the j)icturesque old cathedral of La Barca. our horses' hoofs stirring up a cloud of the omnipresent adobe dust. A New England housewife who spends her life in banishing dust from her home could exist in the houses of Mexicans only in a state of insanity. «4 106 ^ ::::::::ag THE MARSHES OF CHAPALA aG"::-:: LA BARCA CATHEDRAL. FROM OUR HOTEL WINDOW The unfinished adobe walls beinor nothincr but dust in a slightly hardened state, the least touch inside or out removes a film of the earth powder. We were surprised to see numerous Barn and White- bellied Swallows about the streets, and our first thought was, when wall these old friends of ours start on their northward journey ? A natural inquiry, but one which we occasionally discovered was wholly unwarranted. For instance, I watched a Barn Swallow swoop across our path, and idly wondered where the summer would find him. I was answered, albeit rather taken aback, > :::::::::=*x TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B-"""" From their sinewy folds of death to the beauty and grace of a snow-white egret is, indeed, an extreme ; but here snake and bird lived in close association, — finding in the same swamp rest, shelter, and food. We in the North have neo-lected the eg-rets until well-nigh the last survivor has been murdered ; but here in this wild place, where, outside of the towns, a man's best law and safeguard is in his liolster, these birds have already found champions. Short tolerance had the first plume-hunter — an American — who began his nefarious work in the Chapala marshes. The rouyfh but beautv-loviuff c((haUer<)f< who owned the haciendas surrounding the lake talked it over, formed — to all intents and purposes — an Audubon Society, ran the millinery airent ofP, and forbade the shooting^ of these birds. There was no fine or imprisonment for shooting egrets. — only a wides])read verlial " revolver law," more significant and potent tlum many of our inscribed legislative enactments. Loons and grebes deliglited in tlie swampy end of the lake — tlie former shrieking and diving in tlie joyous abandon of their wild, unhunted lives. The great Western Grebe was especially interesting, — an- other species which must fight for very existence in its Northern haunts, its silky breast having found fatal favour in the eyes of milliners. Hundreds of White Pelicans are said to make their winter home here, breeding far to the northward ; but <^ 110 ^ :::::::::C THE MARSHES OF CHAPALA B-"-".' a distant glimpse of a few of the great birds is all that may be hoped for in a flying visit. To-day our horses were headed for the flooded marshes east of the lake, and, leaving the stream with its green borders, we rode on through the chaparral thickets, Brown Towhees and Curve-billed Thrashers springing up at every step. Beyond a distant hne of willows, our guide promised us " muchos j^^^j^^'os de agua/' but there was no hint of changing conditions until we left La Barca far behind. Few hunters thought of looking for sport elsewhere than on the waters of the lake itself, and so we were not surprised to find the birds tame and unconcerned at our presence. Little streams appeared, with coots and handsome little Scaup Ducks floating on their quiet surface, and sandpipers teetering along the muddy banks. At last we leaped two ditches, the guide lead- ing the way through an opening in the willow tangle, and we found ourselves at the edge of the marshes, a vast plain, half dry, half flooded, broken here and there by patches of tall reeds, a great land expanse stretching mile upon mile to the lake toward the south- west and to the barren mountains rising hazy and blue in the east. At another time and place we have seen thousands of pelicans close together on a tiny islet ; again, ducks have surrounded us in such masses that we seemed floating in a sea of birds ; but all our remembrances ^ 113 -^ ::::::::»x TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO >¥:."::"" paled before the avifauna of the Chapala marshes. Migration had already begun, and we were told that vast numbers of Pintails and Widgeons had left for the North, but untold thousands of birds Avere before us. As far as the eye could see, living- feathered forms were scattered irregularly or massed in dense flocks. Our ffuide could not understand why we did not wish to shoot, but onlv to look, and look again, wishing Ave could draw out the seconds to minutes, the min- utes to hours, in which to feast our eyes upon the wonderfully beautiful sight. Leaning low down on our horses' necks and flattening ourselves as close to the animals' sides as possible, we advanced at a slow walk, now and then allowing them to take a mouth- ful of grass. In this way we were able to approach closely, even among the flocks, without alarming the birds. The air was tilled with a multitude of sweet notes, — half strange, half familiar, — and the sight of scores of brilliant yellow breasts, crescent marked, turned toward us, told us that it was a hint of well-known Meadowlark music which puzzled our memory. But this melody Avas very unlike the sharp, steel tones which ring so true across the frost-gemmed fields of our Northland in early spring. The larks looked very little dilferent from our Northern birds ; their backs j)erhaps darker and their breasts of a warmer, more orange yellow. This genial, tropical air has thawed «4 1 1 4 ^ :;::::::3K THE MARSHES OF CHAPALA ag"""" their voices and softened their tones, and the sweetest of choruses came from the throats of these Mexican Meadowlarks. We passed hundreds upon hundreds of blackbirds, evenly divided between golden-headed MEXICAN FISHERMAN beauties and others whose trim ebony forms were richly marked with scarlet and white shoulders — the Bicoloured Blackbirds. Their clucks were continu- ous, as they walked and hopped about, searching and <4 115 -^ :::::::::*; TWO BIRD -LOVERS IN MEXICO B:"""" finding. The half-sodden meadows must indeed have been a limitless storehouse for insects and seeds, since they afforded food for so great a number of birds. So absorbed was I in watching the various species, that I forgot the exigencies of my unusual j)osition on the horse and, losing my hold, I dropped ignomin- iously into a puddle. A roar of wings sounded in my ears as I gained my feet, and a swift look around showed a myriad of forms in hurried flight — all blackbirds however ; not a Meadowlark, had Hown. but like magic, at the first suspicion of danger, every yel- low breast had disappeared. Tlie glass revealed skulk- ing gray and mottled forms stalking stealtliily among the reeds, l)iit the naked eye refused to distinguish them from the vegetation. No olint of vellow betrayed them ; in the fiasli of an eye a hundred brilliant-hued, vocal creatures witliin a few square yards of us had turned about and — vanished, many times safer than the fleeing blackbirds, a shot among which would have slain half a liundred. But from us all were safe, and after I resumed my Mexican stalking position and rode on, the alarm ceased almost immediately. The flocks of Yellowheads and Red-wings settled many ranks deep among the reeds, and one by one, like the stars in early evening, the breasts of the reassured larks flashed out, and again their melody rang sweet and full as before. «4 11 <' ^ :::::::::C THE MARSHES OF CHAPALA xfe:::::::: Three times a beautiful hawk, with under parts and tail of wliite, swung out over us from the willow which we had left, uttering low, wheedling cries and peering down at us, treading the air overhead with vibrating wings. A narrow bar of black stretched across the wide-spread tail-feathers, and we knew^ that we had seen the Sennett White-tailed Hawk. Oddly enough, the birds in the marshes, large and small, showed absolutely no fear, paying not the slightest attention to the presence or to tlie cries of the bird of prey. We now came to occasional swampy places with small patches of open water surrounded by higher ground. Blackbirds, and Cowbirds with red eves, chased grasshoppers and other insects. When an occasional hopper of unusually large size sprang ujj, a fluttering mass of feathers, scarlet, white, golden, and black would set upon him. But often a low-browed Caracara galloped up, scattering the lesser birds and appropriating the remains of the insect for himself. It was amusing to see how these curious birds seized their small prey in the talons of one foot and lifted it toward their beak, nibbling at it from between their toes, like a cockatoo with a piece of bread. All these scenes were noted within a few minutes, and then our attention was wholly absorbed by the wading and water-birds. We rode acre after acre with Killdeer and one or two unnamable species of plover