72 Phillips, Birds of Tammdipas, Mexico. [jan. 



till from September to November. The dry season covers the 

 rest of the year, interrupted, however, by cold winter storms which 

 are usually the southern prolongation of Texas "northers." The 

 northern part of the State is subject to severe frosts, but the south- 

 ern part is beyond the ordinary frost belt. Summer rains are usu- 

 ally plentiful along the coast lowlands, which occupy the largest 

 part of the State, but the northern half is sometimes subject to 

 prolonged and excessive droughts. 



The heaviest rains in the State fall in summer along the moun- 

 tain chain in the western part (Sierra Madre). The southern part 

 has regularly a much greater summer rainfall than the northern 

 half. 



Special thanks are due Mr. E. W. Nelson for time generously 

 given in comparing many of our series of birds with those in the 

 National Museum. To Mr. Outram Bangs is due credit for a 

 large share of the work in sorting and arranging specimens as the 

 material came in, and for valuable help. 



The collection, of which an annotated list follows, is now merged 

 in the general collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 at Cambridge. 



List of Species. 

 Ardeid^e. 



Herodias egretta (Wilson). — 1 d\ Matamoros, Jan. 24. 

 Egretta candidissima candidissima (Gmelin). — 1 9, Matamoros, 

 Jan. 23. 



Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis (Gosse). — 1 d\ Matamoros, Jan. 20. 

 Nyctanassa violacea violacea (Linn.). — 1 o\ Matamoros, June. 

 Heterocnus cabanisi (Heine). — 1 9 , Rio Cruz, May 9. 



1BIDID.E. 



Plegadis guarauna (Linn.). — 3, both sexes, Matamoros, Jan. 21- 

 Feb. 9. 



ANATID.E. 



Olor buccinator (Richardson). — 1 9 , Matamoros, Jan. 21. This is a 

 typical specimen of the species and constitutes its first Mexican record. 



Cairina moschata (Linn.).— 2 9: Altamira, Dec. 31; Rio Cruz, 

 May 13. 



