82 



OKNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-No. 6 



was feeding among the weeds on the bank of 

 the river. Another one was procurred the 

 same day in that locality. They were both 

 males; but on May 18th we got six more 

 splendid specimens — two females and four 

 males. They were extremely shy, and the 

 only way that we could shoot them was by 

 crawling through the reeds. This mode of 

 progression was very slow, as it took us about 

 two hours to go three hundred yards ! 



I noticed one of these birds while feeding, 

 and after it caught a fish it would beat it 

 against the water before swallowing it. This 

 was done apparently for the purpose of killing 

 the fish. 



We wounded one of these birds and kept it 

 for several hours, during which time it only 

 gave a sort of cluck like a hen. We were in- 

 formed that they bred in colonies on the Bra- 

 zos River. 



H(.iimato2ms palUatus^ A.\x\eY\(i?in Oystercatcher. 

 We saw a number of these birds at Corpus 

 Christi, where they breed on the small islands 

 in the bay. They were mated and had com- 

 menced to lay when we were there. The nest 

 is a mere hollow in a shell beach, and nearly 

 always among the oyster shells. 



Strepsilas interpres, Turnstone. Common at 

 Corpus Christi, where we shot several. One of 

 the latter was a good many miles out on the 

 water, sitting on some fioating weeds. This 

 struck us as being very peculiar. 



Squatarola helvetica^ Black-bellied Plover. 

 Rather common at Corpus Christi, but very 

 shy. We shot some very perfect specimens, in 

 which the black part of the plumage was en- 

 tirely unmixed with white, and covered the 

 whole underneath of the body. They frequent- 

 ed the salt meadows, and were found in com- 

 pany with the American Golden Plover, 

 {Charculrms dominicus) and the Red-breasted 

 Snipe, ( Macrorhamphus griseus). 



Gharadrms dominicus^ American Golden 

 Plover. Quite numerous at Corpus Christi, 

 but so shy that they kept out of gunshot. 



uE<jialites hiatmda^ Ringed Plover. Toler- 

 ably abundant at Corpus Christi. They breed 

 in the sand on the beach of Nueces Bay. The 

 nest is scooped out in the sand, with no lining, 

 and they lay from three to four eggs. 



Ochthodromus vnlsonius, Wilson's Plover. 

 Quite numerous at Corpus Christi. We saw 

 several pairs who had made their nests in a 

 grass plot which was attached to an unused 

 factory, and were told that they returned there 

 year after year. 



Macrorhamphus griseus^ Red-breasted Snipe. 



Seen in large flocks, in company with Black- 

 bellied and American Golden Plovers, on the 

 salt meadows near Corpus Christi, where we 

 shot a few specimens, after a good deal of 

 exertion. 



Symphemia semijKdmata, Willet. Common at 

 Corpus Christi, where they bred in the salt 

 marshes of Nueces Bay. They were very tame 

 and allowed us to get within ten or fifteen feet 

 of them, and when they were on their nests we 

 got even nearer. They seemed to act as senti- 

 nels for the larger birds, such as Pelicans, Com- 

 orants and others, for the latter would at once 

 take wing when the Willets uttered their cry of 

 alarm. 



Three nests which we found each contained 

 four eggs, which appear to be out of all pro- 

 portion to the size of the bird. The nests were 

 quite shallow, and were found among the grass. 

 They were about nine or ten inches in diameter 

 and veiy cleverly concealed. 



Bartramia longicauda, Bartram's Sandpiper. 

 Very common in Comal County, and also at 

 Corpus Christi. At the former place we found 

 immense flocks on the prairie, and they were so 

 tame that the flock would part in the middle 

 and let us drive between them. We often shot 

 enough birds while going through a flock in 

 this way to last for several meals. When they 

 thought we did not see them they would stand 

 perfectly still, and being the same color as 

 their surroundings they easily escaped detec- 

 tion. At Corpus Christi we found them in the 

 same abundance, but somewhat shyer. They 

 do not breed in that locality, but up to the 24th 

 of May they were still there, and had not start- 

 ed on their northward migration. 



Xumenms longirostris, IjOng-billed Curlew. 

 Seen in large flocks on the salt marshes near 

 Corpus Christi. They appeared to be very 

 tame, and were easily approached within 

 shooting distance. 



Numenius hudsonicus, Hudsonian Curlew. 

 Rather common at Corpus Christi. We also 

 saw a few in Comal Countj', on the banks of a 

 pond; and in going from Laredo to Corpus 

 Christi, on the railroad, we noticed large flocks 

 at every water hole that we passed. 



Becurvirostra ainericana, Amefican Avocet. 

 A few seen on the Nueces River, where we 

 were told they bred. 



Himantopus mexicanus, Black-necked Stilt. 

 A number of pairs observed near Corpus Christi, 

 where they were breeding. I found a nest, con- 

 taining five eggs, on a small island in Corpus 

 Christi Bay. It was on the ground among tall 

 reeds, and well concealed. There w^ere only 



