JPMayers 1943 Journal Trans-chaco highway Km300 - O W of Villa Hayes, Dept. Pres. Hayes, Paraguay Sept 5 cont'd Rio Verde (Km300) as compared to that available west of Rio Verde. By far the greatest density (not all that great) was in the vicinity of Juan Zulayar, but there were birds to the west. (and according to Greg Schmidt, ornithologist in Wetzel's party last year, time or many birds at Temecuit Ochoa). The situation to the east is not expected. It may result from the possibility that the only water to the west is near the road, and results from human activity, whereas to the east water is abundant. This would result in birds being much more visible in the west. But I would have expected at least some birds to the east, even if only flying. Certainly the poodon tajamares are not that different in appearance or size. Perhaps the amount of emergent vegetating along the periphery of the eastern ones is greater. One difference is that in the surrounding habitat, toward the west the monte is more prominent, while palm swamps dominate in the east. At Zulayar, the country was more open than elsewhere, neither p-swamps, nor monte for large areas around the water. That was also true at 365. Therein lie 2 possibilities - 1) that the observed distribution pattern is not true, that birds are equally common in the east but less visible because of habitat differences + the increased abundance of water away from the road. 2) that it is true, and that it results from some unknown reason(s). Among these may be 1) some habitat difference in the microflora that I did not