68 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-]S"o. 5 



Elanoides forjicatus, Swallow-tailed Kite. In 

 Comal County we met with only two specimens ; 

 but in the extreme northern i)art of Nueces 

 County, we saw about a dozen of them at a 

 time, flying over a stream, and darting about 

 like swallows. Our guide informed us that 

 they bred further up the coast. 



Circus hudsonius, Marsh Hawk. Rather com- 

 mon all over the state. W^e shot several, but 

 found uo nests. 



Accipiter fiisrus, Sharp-shinned Hawk. About 

 as common as the Marsh Hawk, but no one 

 that we met with had ever found their nest. 1 

 shot a magnificent specimen ; a male, in Comal 

 County. 



Antenor unicinctus harrisi, Harris' Hawk. I 

 saw only one specimen in Comal County. This 

 was brought to us by a Mexican, who had shot 

 it with a rifle. In Nueces County, however, 

 they seemed to be quite common, and nested in 

 the same positions as the Caracara, with whom 

 they kept company. 



We found several nests in Nueces County, 

 which were built in the tops of mesquite trees, 

 and composed of sticks, lined with grass. On 

 May 12th, I found the first set of three eggs, 

 which are of a light bluish white, unspotted, 

 and measure 2.07x1.68; 2.09x1.74 and 2.07 x 



1.69. On the same day I also found a set of 

 two eggs, which showed no variation in ap- 

 pearance. They measure 2.14x1.74 and 2.09 x 



1.70. Several other sets were found, one of 

 which had some brownish markings on them. 



I put one of the eggs of this bird under a hen, 

 who hatched it out. The chick appeared healthy, 

 but was sacrificed in the interest of science. It 

 was covered with bright yellow down, and was 

 about three inches long. 



Buteo horeaJis^ Ked-tailed Hawk. We found 

 this species quite rare in Comal County, but 

 shot one magnificent specimen. 



Buteo aUncaudatns, White-tailed Hawk. This, 

 the most beautiful of all the hawks, we found 

 quite numerous in Nueces Co\inty, and secured 

 nine specimens. They are extremely shj'^, and 

 very difticult to get near. When their nest is 

 approached they circle over your head, but al- 

 ways out of gun shot. 



It takes three years for them to attain their 

 full adult plumage, and in one case we found a 

 female of the second year breeding with a male 

 in full plumage. 



Their food consists of snakes, frogs, rabbits, 

 and quails. 



Their nest is always built in the top of a bush 

 (as there are no trees of any size where this 

 hawk are found), generally from five to seven 



feet from the ground. It is composed of rough 

 grass and lined with a little finer grass. The 

 outside diameter is about three feet, but the in- 

 terior of the nest is very small, being onlj' large 

 enough to hold the eggs, which are sometimes 

 found covered over with grass. They are al- 

 ways two in number, and are of a dead white, 

 sometimes faintly marked with a light brown. 

 One set I found are nearly globular in form, 

 and closely resemble the eggs of the Great 

 Horned Owl, (Bubo rirginianus). My first set 

 was taken May 10th, near Corpus Christi, and 

 contained two eggs, which measure 2.26x1.88 

 and 2.20x1.70. The next nest was found on 

 May 19th, on Padre Island, in the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico. This was built in the most peculiar situa- 

 tion, being on a Scrub Oak, not more than a 

 foot and a half from the ground. This bush 

 was the only one in sight. The nest contained 

 two eggs, measui'ing about the same as the for- 

 mer set, and the female was shot. 



Buteo Swainsuni, Swainson's Hawk. Com- 

 mon in Nueces County, where we shot a speci- 

 men in full plumage, near Corpus Christi. I 

 was also informed that it bred in Comal County. 



Aquila chrysaetus canadensis, Golden Eagle. 

 We saw only one specimen of this species in 

 Comal County, which we wounded but did not 

 secure. I have heard of a set of their eggs 

 having been taken in the same county in 1883. 



Catharatps aura, Turkey Buzzard. Very 

 common. I saw them in the yai'ds attached to 

 houses in Corpus Christi, where they came 

 after the refuse thrown out for them. They 

 are protected by law, and he who shot one 

 would probably find himself in hot water. 



The first nest we found was in Comal County 

 on a small ledge of rocks, about ten feet from 

 the ground. They were laid on the bare rock, I 

 and were two in number. In Nueces County 

 we found the eggs on the ground, generally 

 under a bush, or a cactus. 



When the young are hatched the nest be- 

 comes very ottensive, owing to the quantity of 

 carrion the parents bring to the young birds. 

 The negi-oes eat the latter, but I would rather 

 be excused from such a diet. 



Cathartes atrata, Blai-k Vulture. These birds 

 are almost as common as the Turkey Buzzard 

 in Texas, and, like them, come into the towns. 

 We found the first set of eggs in Nueces County X 

 on May 12th. They were laid on the ground, ^ 

 under a bush. 



Zenaidura caroUnensis, Mourning Dove. Very 

 common. Breeds. In Nueces County we often 

 found their nests on the ground. Several of the 

 sets consisted of three eggs, and one of the lat- 



