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



PiPiLO ARCTicus, Swainson. Arctic Towhee. 



"When deer-hunting in the Bandera Hills, in November 1863, 

 I noticed several of these birds near our camp, and shot three 

 specimens. I also procured several near San Antonio during 

 the winter. 



Male. Bill horn -blue ; legs flesh-coloured ; iris bright red. 



Amongst the specimens shot near San Antonio is one that 

 corresponds pretty well with Professor Baird^s description of 

 Pipilo megalonyx ; but I am somewhat doubtful as to its being 

 anything but a variety of P. arcticus with rather long claws. 



MoLOTHRUS PECORis (Gmelin) . Cow-bird. 



Very common throughout the country ; but I only once found 

 the egg of this species, which, like our Cuckoo, makes no nest 

 of its own, but deposits its egg in the nest of some small bird. 

 The one I found was in the nest of a Vireo belli; and, to judge 

 from other nests brought to me containing Cow-birds' eggs, 

 they seem to make use of the nests of the small Flycatchers in 

 preference to those of other birds. 



AgeljEus phceniceus (Linnaeus). Red-winged Starling. 



Very common, breeding abundantly on the banks of the rivers 

 and streams. By the side of the Rio Grande and the San 

 Antonio River I have seen vast flocks roosting in the reeds. 



Xanthocephalus icterocephalus (Bonaparte). Yellow- 

 headed Blackbird. 



In the autumn of 1863 I shot a couple of this species, which 

 were the only specimens that I then saw ; but on the 23rd April 

 1864, when taking my usual early morning-walk outside San 

 Antonio, I found the prairie literally covered with these birds. 

 During the ensuing week vast flocks remained near the town, 

 after which they disappeared suddenly, nor did I subsequently 

 notice any more. 



Sturnella neglecta, Audubon. Western Meadow-Lark. 



Very common during the winter near San Antonio, and a few 

 remain there to breed. I did not, however, succeed in procuring 

 more than three eggs, which are similar to those of Sturnella 

 magna in colour and marking, but somewhat smaller in size. 



