1887.] Beckham on the Birds of Bayou Sara, La. 3^3 



imens were shot in T8S2, but this time I was fortunate enough to 

 obtain one, which proves to be typical §htiscalus quiscula ceneus. 

 They appeared in the neighborhood of Bayou Sara during the 

 preceding winter in enormons flocks and did a great deal of 

 damage to the growing crops. They destroyed five acres of corn 

 for Mr. James P. Bowman, a planter, near Bayou Sara, pulling 

 the young sprouts up by the roots. Mr. Bowman poisoned 

 several thousand of them with arsenic, but unfortunately a good 

 many Carolina Doves were killed along with the Grackles. 



The Blue Jays were exceedingly abundant, and the customary 

 state of warfare prevailed between these rowdy freebooters and 

 the rest of the feathered tribe. Kingbirds, Great-crested Fly- 

 catchers, and Woodpeckers were about equally represented ; and 

 their respective dates of arrival being April 3, 7, and 6. Acadian 

 Flycatchers, first noted on the 13th, were occasionalh' seen and 

 heard in dense woodland. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and 

 Chimney Swifts were abundant. The note of Chuck-will's-widow 

 was first heard on the evening of April 1 1 ; the birds soon became 

 very common, and as soon as twilight came on were to be heard 

 on all sides. They would generally cease singing before eight 

 o'clock, and occasionally one would be heard in the morning at 

 daybreak. A few Nighthawks were seen, and one was shot 

 from a small pine tree in an open place. It permitted me to 

 approach within fifteen feet. 



Among the Woodpeckers, besides Picus villosus, elsewhere 

 noted, the Downy, Red-bellied, and Red-headed were well rep- 

 resented, but only three or four Flickers were observed. The 

 Yellow-billed Cuckoos arrived on the iSth and were very abun- 

 dant. 



Judge Lawrason, who lives in the country near Bayou Sara, 

 informed me that as late as 1875 he found the Carolina Parakeet 

 every year at his place, but since that date he has neither seen nor 

 heard of any in this locality. 



A great many Vultures and Carrion Crows were seen, the 

 latter being particularly abundant. 



The only water birds observed, other than those elsewhere 

 mentioned, were Wilson's Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted 

 Sandpiper, Little Green Heron, and Coot. A pair of the latter 

 were seen on a large upland pond, considerably overgrown with 

 water-lillies, etc., and a negro living near by asserts that they 

 breed there. 



