SENNETT ON BIRDS OF THE RIO GRANDE OF TEXAS. 29 



a greenish- white, clouded with purplish-browu from the small end as 

 far as the centre, and sometimes over the whole egg. The markings 

 are of a very dark brown, chiefly at the small end, and consist of pen- 

 cillings, drops, and splashes irregularly and grotesquely put on. Of a 

 very large series of eggs, the largest was 1.40 by 0.95, and the smallest 

 1.12 by 0.87, with an average of 1.27 by 0.87. The narrowest egg, 0.83, 

 was next to the longest, being 1.39, thus showing great variation in 

 shape. 



37— $ —18.00 X 23.50 x 7.75 x 9.00. Mar. 15, Corpus Christi Pass. 



117— <?— 18.00 X 23.25 x 7.75 x 9.00. Mar. 30, Brownsville. 



118— 5 —14.00 X 19.25 X 6.00 x 6.00. Mar. 30, Brownsville. 



129— i —18.50 X 23.50 x'7.65 x 9.00. Mar. 31, Brownsville. 



130— <? —18.50 X 24.00 x 7.75 x 9.00. Mar. 31, Brownsville. 

 131—2—13.50 X 18.00 X 5.65 x 6.00. Mar, 31, Brownsville. 



COEVID^. 



Xanthuea luxuosa, {Less.) Bp. — Bio Grande Jay. 



This is the only representative of the family seen on the trip. It was 

 first met with on April 2d, in the vicinity of Brownsville ; but it was not 

 until we reached the heavier timber about Hidalgo that we saw it in full 

 force. They were there April 17th in pairs, and busy constructing homes. 

 They are most frequently seen during the breeding season in the densest 

 woods and thickets, but at other times I am told they are common visit- 

 ors of th^! camp, the ranche, and the huts in the outskirts of towns, to 

 the annoyance of all on account of their thieving propensities. They 

 are not very shy, even when breeding, and I had no difficulty in obtain- 

 ing all I desired. Only once, however, was I able to shoot two at once. 

 I caught none in the act of destroying eggs and young of other birds, 

 although I have some very strong circumstantial evidence of such being 

 the case. As the only account I have seen of the finding of these nests 

 and eggs within our border was given by Dr. Merrill * (by the way, they 

 were obtained in this same locality last year), and as I am also fortunate 

 in obtaining and thoroughlj^ identifying quite a number of sets, I shall 

 risk being tedious, and give copious notes. 



My first nest was taken April 28th, from a mezquite-tree standing in a 

 dense thicket not far from the river-bank, and contained four fresh eggs. 

 It was situated in a fork about fifteen feet from the ground, and was 

 composed of sticks lined with fine stems, and a rather bulky aflair. 

 Both birds were seen, and one shot. I made the boy that was with me 

 understand that I wanted more eggs of the same kind. He professed per- 

 fect familiarity with "P4jaro verde", and, much to my surprise, brought 

 me before night two sets, one of four, fresh, and one of three, hard incu- 

 bated. He said both were found in small trees, and were situated about 

 twice as high as his head, which would be nine or ten feet from the 

 ground. On April 30th, I flushed a Eed-billed Pigeon, Golumha flamros- 

 * See Bulletin of the Nattall Ornithological Club, i. n. 4, 89, Nov. 1876. 



