102 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1892. 



few years ago, the " Striker," as he calls it, was abundant. I found 

 several skins of this species among some thousand millinery pelts 

 collected in this locality by Messrs. Fancher and Noakes of Corpus 

 Christi. On one occasion I noted a flock of a dozen flying near the 

 town, and I rarely went to the bay without seeing three or four. 

 From the action of these birds I judge they made their headquarters 

 further south and were breeding. 



7. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmel.). American Black Tern. 



Saw this bird only at the mouth of the Nueces River, where one 

 Avas secured, a full plumaged breeding male. Saw nearly a dozen 

 altogether, always singly. This species is also heretofore unre- 

 corded from the vicinity of Corpus Christi. 



8. Rhynchops nigra Linn. Black Skimmer. 



Abundant and breeding. 



9. Phalacrocorax mexicanus (Brandt). Mexican Cormorant. 



An immense flock of these birds was found sitting on the penin- 

 sular flats around the margin of an old pond. One individual shot 

 from this flock was a young male of the year. These birds had evi- 

 dently done breeding but just where they do breed, I was unable to 

 discover. 



10. Anas fulvigula maculosa (Senn.";. Mottled Duck. 



This is the commonest representative of its family on Nueces Bay 

 in June, where it breeds in the marshes. 



"■■■11. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). Shoveller. 



A few were observed at the mouth of the Nueces River. 



72. Ajaja ajaja (Linn.). Roseate Spoonbill. 



On the 28th of May, accompanied by Mr. Priour, I sailed down 

 to the mouth of the Nueces River in search of these birds. At a 

 distance of two miles a couple of large flocks could be descried as a 

 dull rosy streak along the water's edge. We approached near 

 enough to make, with the aid of a glass, an excellent survey 

 of the flocks in the act of feeding before they noticed our jires- 

 ence. When within about two hundred yards of them, the 

 whole company of four or five hundred individuals simultaneously 

 raised their heads and faced about. On approaching some fifty 

 yards nearer, the sudden righting about just mentioned was suc- 

 ceeded by a most interesting series of manoeuvres, consisting of a con- 

 traction and filling in of all the gaps in the line ; and just as this was 



