320 Mr. H. E. Dresser on the Birds of Southern Texas. 



drift-sticks and grass, were placed on the low bushes or long 

 grass, and contained three or four eggs (generally the latter 

 number) of a light-blue colour. Near them and amongst them 

 were a dozen or more Laughing Gulls^ nests, some very slightly 

 built of straws and drift-stuff, and others pretty well formed ; 

 indeed it looked much as if the Gulls had taken possession of 

 Herons' nests in some cases. 



Further on were a few nests of the Egrets ; and at one end 

 of the island we found a large colony of Wilson's Terns, but, 

 finding many hatched out, we only took a few eggs, which were 

 fresh. These Terns make a sort of nest on the large piles of 

 drift-grass, and lay three or four eggs, much resembling those 

 of our Common Terns {Sterna fluviatUis). We noticed several 

 Spoonbills [Platalea ajaja) and a pair of Long-legged Ducks 

 {Dendrocygna fulva), which I thought might have a nest near; 

 but I was mistaken, for on shooting and examining one, the 

 male, I found the testes but shghtly developed. 



On leaving this island we tried the main island, and found a 

 large colony of Larus atricilla and Sterna aranea. This latter 

 bird makes scarcely any nest, and indeed often merely scratches 

 a hole in the sand. The nest, when there is one, is merely 

 composed of a few straws round a hole scratched in the sand, 

 and contains three or four eggs. Most of the eggs were slightly 

 incubated; whereas those of the Laughing Gull were very fresh. 

 Great quantities of Skimmers were about, but we found no 

 eggs ; indeed Gifford told me that they generally breed later in 

 the season. We were tired, and therefore turned in early ; and 

 the next morning, after taking a few more eggs of the above- 

 named species and a couple of nests of Sterna frenata, we re- 

 turned to the town. As we had nearly two bushels of eggs 

 with us, we feasted on them for several days at the hotel, and 

 found them excellent eating, especially those of the Laughing 

 Gull. 



I made several trips along the island, and to a lake on it, at 

 which latter place I saw a great quantity of Dendrocygna fulva, 

 which a German, who shot birds for the market, told me breed 

 here late in June. Wilson's Sandpipers and Wilson's Plover 

 were also pretty common; also Willets, Curlew [Numenius 



