Mr. H. E. Dresser on the Birds of Southern Texas. 35 



visit to Galveston, in June, I saw a few, but not so many as on 

 the above-mentioned occasion. 



Recurvirostra AMERICANA, Gmelin. American Avocet. 



Early in July I often saw Avocets at the town-lagoon at Ma- 

 tamoras, generally finding them in families of five or six, some 

 of the young birds being only just able to fly. They were not 

 shy, but would come to a shallow part of the lagoon close to the 

 houses and wade along, moving their heads from side to side 

 with perfect regularity, reminding one forcibly of a party of 

 mowers, as they do not go in an even line, but, like mowers, one 

 slightly behind and to the side of the other. Towards August 

 they became much more abundant, and I rarely went to the 

 lagoon without observing a dozen or fifteen. In May and June 

 1864 I saw several pair on Galveston Island, but found no nest. 

 I was, however, told by the fishermen that both the Avocet and 

 Stilt breed on Bolivar Point, and on the islands outside the 

 Brazos and St. Louis Pass. I also received a specimen from 

 Fort Stockton. 



HiMANTOPUs NiGRicoLLis, Vicillot. Black-ueckcd Stilt. 



Early in July I occasionally saw one or two Stilts near Mata- 

 moras, but did not notice many before the commencement or 

 middle of August, when I never went to the lagoon without 

 finding one or two flocks. They are very shy, and when dis- 

 turbed fly round with loud cries, scaring everything else away. 

 I generally shot them by hiding in the bushes near the lagoon 

 and getting some one to walk round and frighten them ofi"; I 

 could then be almost certain of a shot as they passed overhead, 

 for they always flew off" towards the river. On the 2nd of June, 

 1864, I saw two pair on Galveston Island; and on the 4th of 

 July, after a heavy fall of rain, they were to be found all over 

 the flooded lands near San Antonio. 



Phalaropus w^ilsoni, Sabine. Wilson^s Phalarope. 



In September, when travelling from Brownsville towards San 

 Antonio, I saw on the pond at Barton's Rancho a Phalarope 

 which, I believe, was of this species, but I was unable to shoot 

 it. On the 4th of July, 1864, I noticed a pair on some flooded 



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