134 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 88 



day a flock of some thirty birds passed over the city. A third and last 

 flight was witnessed on May 16, composed of perhajis seventy of these 

 graceful birds. 



2. Branta canadensis Jmtchinsii. Hutchin's Goose. — While walking 

 along a shell road just west of the city on April 18, I was extremely 

 surprised to observe a Goose of this species fly up from the prairie about 

 two hundred feet from the road and go flapping off to the south, at no 

 time rising over fifteen feet above the ground. It was probably due 

 to my careless method of observation that I had not observed the bird 

 before it took wing, for the only shelter in the prairie pasture from 

 whence it flew was the scattered growth of ' ' sage-brush ' ' hardly a 

 foot tall. 



Both B. c. canadensis and B. c. Imtcliinsii occur as migrants and are 

 not uncommon in winter. Small flocks of from ten to thirty birds passed 

 over the city on various dates in March and early April (March 3, 9, 

 11, 27; April 4). 



3. Grus mexicana. Sandhill Crane. — On March 10 a flock of about 

 thirty, and on March 18 a flock of eighteen, were noted as they passed 

 northward over the western edge of the city. On April 11 I witnessed 

 a truly astonishing flight. I was observing a number of small Warblers 

 in a patch of tall oaks on the edge of the Buffalo Bayou Avoods about a 

 mile west of the city limits, when my attention was attracted by strange 

 noises which I could not for the moment locate. And then I discovered 

 the source, a flock of about seventy Sandhill Cranes flying northward 

 about a hundred yards overhead; following this flock at a distance of 

 about three hv;ndred yards came a second and larger flock, numbering 

 perhaps two hundred birds. Yet a third flock followed at some distance, 

 numbering approximately one hundred and twenty birds. 



4. Creciseus jamaicensis. Black Kail. — On April 21, while beating 

 around in the sedge and tall grass of a tiny marsh about eight miles 

 south of Houston, looking for nests of the Louisiana Clapper Eail, I 

 nearly stepped on a small Eail which I at first took to be an early downy 

 bird of the Clapper variety. However, I soon recognized my mistake 

 and saw that the bird was the rare Black Eail; it ran just ahead of me 

 through the reeds and rushes for quite a distance, easily evading my 

 attempts to lay hands on it, until the edge of the marsh was reached, 

 there taking wing and flying about a hundred yards before dropping into 

 the next marsh. 



The only other record for this region is that of Dr. Henry Nehrliug, 

 who states that one was taken April 29, 1879. 



5. Gallinago delicata. Wilson's Snipe.- — Common winter resident on 

 the wet prairies and rice fields of the county; they began to move north- 

 ward about March 1, and were not at all uncommon in suitable localities 

 near the city from then until May 2, when the last two birds were 

 observed. They were most abundant and more distinctly migrating on 



