Brewster on Certain Rare, Birds in Texas. 75 



Rev. Dr. Cutting of Brooklyn saw one in the winter of 187. r >, at 

 Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York. Dr. Brewer also incor- 

 rectly makes me out to have " hypothetic-ally " included the Even- 

 ing Grosbeak among the birds of New England ; but I beg to remind 

 him that I never did so. The species is not included in my " List of 

 New England Birds," hypothetically or in any other way. The name 

 of the bird occurs in two places in my text. On page 280 of the 

 "Proceedings of the Essex Institute," Vol. V, 1868, I make this simple 

 remark : " Mr. Mcllwraith records the capture of the Evening Gros- 

 beak, Helper iphona vespertiva, Bon., at Woodstock, Canada." On 

 page 312 I say again : " Add to the record of this species at Wood- 

 stock, Canada, Mr. Lawrence's notice of its occurrence near New 

 York. Stragglers will probably in time be found in New England." 

 In offering me one of those side-thrusts which he has become nota- 

 bly overfond of giving to any one who may chance to differ with 

 him, Dr. Brewer nevertheless goes on to say in substance precisely 

 what I had remarked. His words are : " So far there is no positive 

 evidence to corroborate this claim [i. e. my alleged claim, which I 

 never made], yet its presence [i. e. the bird's, not the claim's] as a 

 straggler may be looked for as possible in Vermont or New Hamp- 

 shire." 



I have thus endeavored to faithfully reflect all that we have 

 learned respecting the life-history of this engaging bird. Notes 

 illustrating its distribution — particularly the manner and occasion 

 of its movements, and its breeding-places — will long continue to 

 be acceptable contributions ; while the fortunate discoverer of the 

 nest and eggs will supply what still remains one of the special 

 desiderata in North American ornithologv. 



ON THE HABITS AND NESTING OF CERTAIN RARE BIRDS 



IN TEXAS. 



BY WILLIAM BREWSTER. 



I recently have had the pleasure of examining a superb collec- 

 tion of birds and eggs obtained by Mr. W. H. Werner in Comal 

 County, Texas, during the months of April and May, 1878. Among 

 the specimens represented are many of great rarity, and several of 



