196 



THE OOLOGIST 



the fall of the year; this bird came 

 around the corner of the school build- 

 ing and flying over our heads struck 

 the wall of a house near and was 

 killed. My brother once caught alive 

 a Partridge which flew into his wood- 

 shed. These accidents nearly always 

 occur in the fall of the year during 

 the open season and are perhaps 

 caused by being frightened by hunters. 

 The food of the Partridge consists of 

 both animal and vegetable matter; 

 they are fond of grasshoppers and I 

 have often shot them along the sides 

 of our country roads where they had 

 come both to feed and to dust in the 

 roadway. They also use the tops of 

 ant hills and bare, dry knolls as dust- 

 ing places; one finding these dusting 

 places it is well to look there again 

 on another day when in quest of game 

 as they are much frequented. There 

 is a small bush which bears light red 

 berries growing wild here; this berry 

 is often eaten and I have shot Part- 

 ridges with the crop cramed full of 

 them; later in the fall one will find 

 them in the trees, budding yellow 

 birches being the favorite; they also 

 eat apple tree and rose buds. 



Birds Observed From Train, From 

 Austin, Texas to Burnet, Texas 

 By Ramon Graham 

 Mr. G. E. Maxon and myself was 

 going from Austin to Burnet on the 

 H. & T. C. R. R. We observed many 

 birds along the way. Mourning Doves 

 were the most plentiful. I counted 

 them up until I got to four hundred 

 and still saw more along the route. 

 Only one bunch of Texas Bob Whites 

 were observed; there were ten of 

 them. Six Ducks which looked to be 

 Wedgions or Baldpates were seen as 

 the train was speeding by a small 

 shalow lake. Scissor Tailed Fly- 

 catchers was plentiful. I saw as 

 many as thirty in one bunch. I kept 

 count of them until I counted fifty. 



Twenty-two Lark Sparrows were ob- 

 served near the railroad. Sparrow 

 Hawks were plentifully scattered 

 through the country. Ten was count- 

 ed and I saw more after I quit count- 

 ing. Mocking Birds were not as 

 plentiful as you would think. I only 

 saw two along the route. Crows were 

 noticed two and three at a time. Fif- 

 teen were counted. Two Sharp 

 Shinned Hawks were noticed darting 

 after Sparrows. White-rumped Shrieks 

 was seen in singles. I saw four. Only 

 one Meadow Lark was observed sit- 

 ting on the fence wire beside the 

 track. Through a thick brushy coun- 

 try I saw four Painted Bunting. Only 

 one Dickcissel was observed. One 

 Downey Wood Pecker. One Grass- 

 hopper Sparrow, two large Hawks 

 were sighted in the distance, but I 

 was unable to identify them. No Vul- 

 tures was seen, to my surprise. But 

 taking it altogether I think I got a 

 pretty good list of birds along such a 

 short route of three hour's travel. 



After reaching Burnet we got in the 

 tin lizzie and hit it for Ft. Worth, 

 Texas, some three hundred miles over- 

 land. Between Burnet and Lampassas 

 we saw twenty Sparrow Hawks in one 

 bunch. Sitting on telephone wires, 

 fence posts, etc. Between Adams- 

 ville and Hamilton we passed through 

 the best Vulture country that I ever 

 witnessed. Vultures of both kinds 

 were plentiful. The hills were high 

 with plenty rock bluffs and cliffs for 

 their nesting grounds. Near Walnut 

 Springs, Texas, we came upon a six 

 foot rattlesnake in the road. We got 

 out and had a battle with him. He 

 never attempted to get away, but give 

 fight at once, as he was making a coil 

 ready to spring at Mr. Maxon, a heavy 

 rock hit him in the head and it was 

 good-bye snake. We skinned him 

 and will make it into a wall mount. 

 Ramon Graham, Taxidermist, 



Ft. Worth, Texas. 



