A Catalogue of Birds obtained in JSi avarro County, Texas. 239 



to undertake more protracted flights. About the middle of July 

 small flocks begin to appear upon the prairie, feeding during the 

 day time upon the low-lying parts and continuing their journey 

 by easy stages during the night : by the end of September, even 

 the last stragglers have passed south. Two or three small blue 

 herons, probably belonging to the next species, are generally 

 found associated with the migratory flocks, and, on one occasion, 

 I saw what appeared to be a perfectly black example. 



Florida c^rulea (Linn). Little Blue Heron. — Arrives in 

 numbers during April, frequenting the prairie creeks, so long as 

 ,water remains therein ; but where these have dried up, retiring 

 to the margins of the river and woodland ponds, where they 

 rear their brood ; and these may occasionally be seen in their 

 white plumage about the tanks, on the prairie, from the middle 

 of July until the third week of August, by which date both old 

 and young have disappeared. Their food consists of small fishes, 

 grasshoppers, beetles and the inevitable crayfish. 



Nyctiardea grisea n^via (Bodd). Black Crowned Night 

 Heron. — Though on two occasions I saw what I believed to 

 be this bird, I can only allow it a place here from having 

 examined a beautiful specimen in the collection of Dr. Thomas, 

 of Dallas, shot by himself in that locality. 



Nyctherodius violaceus (Linn.) White Crowned Night 

 Heron. — Appears to be a scarce summer visitor to the damp and 

 unfrequented parts of the timber where they breed, leaving for 

 their winter quarters during August. Like most other herons, 

 the young birds may often be seen on the prairie during that 

 and the preceding month, where they easily gain their sub- 

 sistence on grasshoppers and crayfish. 



BoTAURUS LENTiGiNOSUS (Montag.) American Bittern. — A 

 rare migrant in our district, passing quickly through during 

 March and October ; they perform their migrations entirely by 

 night, remaining concealed for the most part during the day time 

 among long grass and weeds, where they lie so close that it is 

 exceedingly difficult to rouse them ; they fight with great courage 

 and determination vfhen only wounded. They feed upon the 

 usual crayfish and insects. 



Charadrius dominicus. Mull. American Golden Plover. — 

 During the first week in March enormous flocks of these plover 



