Brown's Reconnoissance in Sojithwestern Texas. 4 1 



76 b. Colaptes auratus mexicanus (^zv.) Ridg. Red-shafted 

 Flicker. — One specimen, taken Jan. 2. Others doubtless occurred 

 amongst the shy Flickers which escaped my gun. 



77. Ceryle alcyon {Linn.) Boie. Belted Kingfisher. — A pair 

 seen on Feb. iS, one of which was shot by a friend on Feb. 21. 



78. Geococcyx calif ornianus {Less.) Bd. Chaparral Cock. — 

 Though said by the inhabitants to be usually numerous, I found it rare 

 during my stay. 



79. Tinnunculus sparveriu9 {Linn.) Vieill. Sparrow Hawk. — 

 Common winter visitant. 



80. Accipiter fuscus ((?;«.) ^^. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Common 

 winter visitant. 



81. Cathartes aura {Linn.) Illig. Turkey Buzzard. — Common 

 resident. 



82. Catharista atrata {Wils.) Less. Black Vulture. — Common 

 resident. 



83. Zenaidura carolinensis {Linn.) Bp. Carolina Dove. — In great 

 numbers throughout my stay. 



84. Meleagris gallopavo, Linn. Mexican Turkey. — The Boerne 

 Hotel occasionally favored its guests with Wild Turkey obtained of ranche- 

 men from the surrounding country, but I did not meet with the bird 

 myself. 



85. Ortyx virginiana texana {Lazvr.) Coues. Taxas Quail. — 

 Uncominon resident. Nearly all of my specimens lack the outer one or 

 two joints of all the toes, — a result, perhaps, of excessive cold. 



86. Ardea herodias, Linn. Great Blue Heron. — Occasionally 

 observed. 



87. Charadrius dominicus, Mail. Golden Plover. — Uncommon 

 •after March 9, which was the date of its arrival. 



88. Oxyechus vociferus (Z/««.) Reich. Kildeer. — Abundant resi- 

 dent. 



89. Podasocys montanus ( Tozvns.) Coues. Mountain Plover. — 

 Occurs uncommonly in the migrations. A flock of about twenty indi- 

 viduals encountered on Jan. 2; two specimens taken on March 15; and a 

 flock of a dozen or more seen on March 17. They were very tame, but, 

 from some peculiar constitutional trait, difficult to kill. This Plover was 

 not procured in southern Texas by Mr. Bennett nor by Dr. Merrill. It 

 was, however, met with by Mr. Dresser,* and two specimens obtained in 

 the State by other collectors are catalogued in the ninth volume of Pacific 

 Railroad Reports. 



90. Galliiiago media ■wilsoni {Temm.) Ridg. Wilson's Snipe. — In 

 the course of the winter I met with perhaps a dozen individuals, at one 

 particular spot in the bed of the creek, where a little grass aftbrded 

 partial cover. Specimens which I shot are exactly similar to eastern 

 examples in plumage, but when freshly killed all agreed in having pale, 



* See Ibis, 1866, p. 33. 



