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June 26-July 5, 1918.

[[underlined]] THE BIRDS FOUND IN THE LAKE AREA IN THE CHUSCA MOUNTAINS. NEW MEXICO. [/underlined]]

by

[[underlined]] Alexander Wetmore. [[/underlined]]

Introduction and itinerary.

In accordance with instructions I proceeded to Gallup, New Mexico, arriving there on the evening of June 24, 1918 and there outfitted for work on the high mesa at the southern end of the Chusca Mountains. We left Gallup on the morning of June 26, and drove via Fort Defiance, Arizona to Red Lake, New Mexico, a distance of 47 miles and there made camp for the night. On the following morning a survey was made of Red Lake and we then continued on to the site of Black Lake near the foot of the Sonsala Buttes. This lake was entirely dry. From here we crossed to Crystal, New Mexico, a trading store and post-office at the upper end of the Red Lake Valley and there camped for the night. On June 28 we drove to the summit of Cottonwood Pass and from there up the steep slopes to the south into the high mesa that forms the summit of the Chusca Mountains. We continued south down this mesa crossing the trail from Crystal to Sheep Springs and camped at noon near the first of the Lakes in this region, at a spring known as Tsa-'hah-esse. From this camp I worked south through the lake region on the summit of the Mesa. On July 1 we moved camp six miles south to a small sheltered valley on the western side of the large lake called Be-e-khet-hum-nez. Camp was made in the aspens above a small lake at the southwestern corner of the large lake, separated from it by a low ridge. From here the large lake was examined and a study made of the remaining lakes on the lower end of the mesa down to the Deza Plateau. On July 3 we