678 BIRDS OF SOtJTHWESTERN TEXAS. 



growth of weeds, shrubbery, iiiul trees that bordered the Sau Antonio 



Eiver often seemed to be " alive" with all sorts of birds, but never a 



Black-throat was to be seen in those assemblages, while a walk of three 



or four minutes' duration would take one into the mesquite where they 



were pretty certain to be found, sometimes a dozen or more together 



feeding on the ground. They began to sing about the beginning of the 



second week of INIarch, the males always perched on top of a mesquite 



or other bush, and the song is so much like that of the Lark Sparrow 



that it was a long time before I became convinced that the music did not 



proceed from that bird. They were undoubtedly breeding at the time 



of my departure, but no eggs were found. On January 20, while en 



route to Corpus Christi, I saw a dock of four or five at a small station 



in Wilson County, 50 miles southeast of San Antonio, but much to my 



surprise I did not find the bird at Corpus Christi, Beeville, or Leon 



Springs, although conditions apparently favorable to their occurrence 



prevailed at all three places. It is in neither Hancock's or Brown's lists, 



and Dresser says that "at San Antonio it is quite a rare bird." This, 



of course, is in direct conflict with my observations, but it merely goes 



to prove that bird faunas, like most other things terrestrial, are subject 



to change. 



Genus PEUCyEA Audubon. 



196. Peiicaea cassini (WooDn.). Cassiii's Sparrow. 



According to Dr. Heermann Cassin's Sparrow is not rare on the 

 l)rairies near the Medina Biver " where they pass the season and 

 breed," and Dresser ako found it not uncommon near the same stream. 



197. Peuccearuficeps eremceca Brown. Rock Spiinow. 



1 kept up a sharp lookout for this Sparrow at Leon Springs, which 

 is only 10 or 12 miles from Boerne, where Brown discovered it, but 

 although the locality was apparently favorable to its occurrence, being 

 very hilly and stony, the bird was not seen. 



" This beautiful Sparrow was uncommon though apparently' resi- 

 dent at Boerne. I found it altogether in rocky localities, usually in 

 close proximity to the creek, but occasionally upon barren hills, a mile 

 or more from water" (Brown). 



Genus MELOSPIZA Raird. 



198. Melospiza fasciata (Gmel. ). Song Sparrow. 



The familiar Song Sparrow was a rather common bird at San Antonio 

 in the immediate vicinity of the river; in fact, I hardly ever saw them 

 except in the rank aquatic vegetation growing at fehe water's edge. 

 The specimens secured are not tyincn] fasciata but are a good deal like 

 montana. It was not observed at Corpus Christi, Beeville, or Leon 

 Springs. It is not in Dresser's list at all, but Brown notes it as rare at 

 Boerne. 



199. Melospiza lincolni (Aur>.). Lincoln's Sparrow. 



Lincoln's Sparrow, a winter resident of San Antonio, is one of the 

 very few birds thit I have ever grown actually tired of. It got to be 



