658 BIRDS OF SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS. 



River iii April, 18G4. The Medina is ouly about 20 miles from. San 

 Antonio. 



Order RAPTORES. Birds of Prey. 



Family OATHAETID.E. American Vultures. 

 Geuus CATIIARTES Illigku. 



94. Cathartes aura(Lixx. ). Turkey Vultmo. 



I saw a few of these vultures at San Antonio, but at Corpus Christi 

 they were quite abundant, associating with the next. According to 

 Brown it is a common resident at Boerne, and Dresser found it " one of 

 the commonest birds throughout the country." 



Geuus CATHARISTA Yieillot. 



95. Catharista atrata (Bautr.). Black Vulture.' 



Seen at all of the places visited, and much more numerously repre- 

 sented than the last except at San Antonio. It was particularly abun- 

 dant at Corpus Christi. Brown found it a common resident at Boerne. 



Family FALCOMD.E. Falcons, Hawks, etc. 

 Genus ELANOIDES Vieillot. 



96. Elanoides forficatus (Lixx.). Ssvallow-tailed Kite. 



I did not see this Kite at any of the places visited, but Hancock saw 

 a pair March 26, at Corpus Christi, and Sennett observed four individ- 

 uals there, two of which he obtained. "About San Antonio de Bexar 

 it is only occasionally seen, and is generally to be found late in July, 

 before heavy rains" (Dresser). 



Genus ICTINIA Vieillot. 



97. Ictiiiia mississippiensis (WiLS.). Mississippi Kite. 



Dresser says of this Kite : "This beautiful little hawk is by no means 

 an uncommon bird in Texas, being generally found in the same locali- 

 ties as ]^^miclerus furcatus. JS^ear San Antonio it is cot very common, 

 but is occasionally found there, and breeds there, as I procured both 

 the old and young birds during the summer. In November, 1803, 1 no- 

 ticed a pair flying about near Howard's rancho, on the Medina, but did 

 not succeed in shooting them." Sennett, I believe, is the only other ob- 

 server who appears to have met with the bird in southwestern Texas. 



Genus CIRCUS Lackpede. 



98. Circus hudsoniuri (Lixx.). Marsh Hawk. 



I did not see tliis Hawk at any of the four localities visited, but ac. 

 cording to Dresser it is abundant " throughout the whole country." In 

 the neighborhood of San Antonio he used to meet with them on the 



