iSS.(.| 1!k(>\\\ dii (I Siiuniil Sciisii// in Texas. 12^ 



1. Trochilus alexandri lioiirc. d- Miih. Black-chinned Humming- 

 uiRD. — I procured a single male specimen of this diminutive species on 

 April 5. No others were seen during my stay. There is no previous 

 record of the bird's occurrence in Texas other than Mr. Purdie's,* which 

 notes the capture of two examples in Gillespie and San Saba Counties, in 

 April, 1S7S. The distribution of the species in Arizona and Utah, how- 

 ever, renders it [irol^able that it is not a rare summer resident in the 

 present localitN-. 



2. Buteo borealis {Gin.) Vicill. Red-tailkd Hawk. — Some half- 

 dozen pairs of Red-tailed Hawks were found to be resident in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity of the village. Two fresh eggs were taken on March 22, the 

 nest being placed about forty feet from the ground, in a somewhat swampy 

 growth of hard-wood trees. 



The two skins in the collection are intermediate between borealis pro- 

 per and var. kridcri. and, without specimens of the latter form for com- 

 parison, it is somewhat difficult to decide under which name they should 

 be included. Upon the whole, however, they appear most closely allied 

 to borealis. The dorsal coloration is not appreciably different from that 

 of Maine examples, and the same is true of the ground-color of the under- 

 parts. The streaks upon the throat and abdomen are fewer, narrower, 

 and paler than in the eastern birds, and there are no rufous markings 

 upon the breast. The tail in both of the Texas specimens is of a pale, 

 dull rufous; that of one {$) is crossed, except upon the central two 

 feathers, where it is only indicated, by the subterminal black band of 

 borealis; that of the other ($) has this band only outlined by obscure 

 and irregular spots. 



Mr. Dresser found the Red-tailed Hawk abundant throughout Texas, 

 but it was not met with at all by Mr. Sennett nor by Dr. Nehrling. and 

 Dr. Merrill speaks of having seen only a single pair. 



In the collection of 1883, as in that of the former season, are 

 many aberrant specimens, the varietal position of which cannot 

 be dehnitivelv fixed but must depend upon the taste of the stu- 

 dent. Tli» additional material before me does not seem to require 

 a change of previous identification, except in one instance. I 

 now believe the western form of the Robin (var. profinqua') to 

 have been included in mv list upon insufficient evidence, all of 

 the specimens from Boerne being nearer migratoria proper,! of 

 which .some of them are typical. 



A verv curious lot are the Horned Larks iyEi'emophilce^ from 

 this locality. I am far from satisfied to let them stand as var. 

 chrysolcema^ but aftev much study of the specimens and a careful 

 examination of many others from different parts of North Amer- 



* See Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club; Vol. IV, p. 60. 



tMy attention was called to the probability of this fact, at the time a different iden- 

 tification was decided upon, by Mr. William Brewster. 



