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



remains during the summer months, arriving early in April, and 

 breeds later than the other birds of prey. 



On the 26th of May I found this species very abundant on a 

 creek near the Colorado, but, on shooting and examining several 

 examples, ascertained that they had not then commenced breed- 

 ing. They were, however, preparing their nests; and from the 

 number I saw about one large grove, I should judge that they 

 may probably breed in society. On my wounding a bird, the 

 rest came flying overhead like Sea-Gulls, uttering harsh cries, 

 and I counted between forty and fifty over me at one time To 

 my great disgust, I was compelled to remain in Houston and 

 Galveston during the whole of June, to attend to some urgent 

 business ; but a friend, a planter on the Brazos, promised me 

 that he would carefully watch certain nests and secure the eggs 

 for me. Soon after I left he wrote to me, saying that he had 

 examined one nest, but had found the young ones hatched and 

 flown, which, he said, puzzled him, the season being so early. 

 I suppose, however, that it must have been an old nest that the 

 birds were repairing; for he promised to watch and see if the 

 bird would not lay again, and early in July (I not having heard 

 from him in the meanwhile) he met me in San Antonio, and 

 delighted me with the intelligence that he had, about a fortnight 

 previously, secured four eggs for me, which, he considered, would 

 be a sufficient number. These he had blown and packed with 

 great care, leaving them for me at the Brazos. I therefore 

 (being on my way home) could not bring them with me, but 

 arranged with a friend (who will, I hope, soon return to England) 

 for him to bring them. 



My friend, the planter, said he could not understand a man 

 collecting a lot of egg-shells ; as for stuff'ed birds, he could see 

 something in that, as they were ornamental. He promised, 

 however, seeing that I really valued the eggs of this bird, to do all 

 in his power to procure a lot of them for me the following spring. 

 t^He tells me that the Swallow-tailed Kite builds high up in 

 oak, sycamore, or cotton-wood trees, sometimes quite far from 

 the creeks. Those I noticed in May were preparing their nests 

 in some high cotton-wood trees in a grove quite close to the 

 creek. 



