NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE ORNITHOLOGY 



CORPUS CHRISTI AND VICINITY, TEXAS. 



BY JOSEPH L. HANCOCK. 



The presentation of these notes on the birds of Corpus Christi 

 and vicinity is the result of my observations from March 16th to 

 April ist, 1S84. 



The object of the trip South was to collect material and make 

 notes of the birds on the Lower Rio Grande of Texas, but upon ar- 

 riving at Galveston, I found that the steamer which formerly plied 

 between Galveston and Brownsville did not stop at Corpus Christi, 

 at which place I intended to remain a sufficient length of time to 

 take notes of the wading birds. I proceeded to Corpus Christi by 

 rail, where I felt it advantageous to remain, as I had the co-opera- 

 tion of an able assistant, and as the locality presented an unusual 

 harvest for ornithological research. 



Expression of my grateful acknowledgment to Mr. George F. 

 Morcom, of Chicago, in whose interest the trip was taken, is given 

 within, and were it not for a severe illness contracted on a camping 

 tour, these notes would have been swelled to a volume. 



1. Larus argentatus smithsonianus Coues. [American 

 Herring Gull). Common on the coast and about the Bay. 



2. Gelochelidon nilotica (Hasselq.). [Gull-billed Tern) m 

 Observed on the coast of the Bay March 26th. A set of three eggs 

 was taken, together with the male bird, on Bird Island, May 23d. 



3. Sterna tschegrava Lepech. [Caspian Tern). Seen 

 about the Bay March 26th. 



4. Sterna forsteri Nutt. [Forster' ) s Tern). Quite com- 

 mon about the Bay and on Bird Island March 26th. 



5. Sterna fuliginosa Gmel. [Sooty Tern). Observed 

 about the reefs March 26th. 



6. Rynchops nigra Linn. [Black Skimmer). A male and 



