38 THE CONDOR Vol. XX 



area, are heavily timbered with pecan, hackberry, walnut, elm, oaks, and vari- 

 ous forms of underbrush. The soil of the eastern and northeastern portions of 

 the county varies from sand to a heavy loam. Mesquite and oaks thrive equally 

 well, the former reaching a size which is not attained elsewhere in this county. 



Birds which are fairly common in the hilly section are rarely found in the 

 mesquite area, this being especially true during the nesting season. The reverse 

 of this statement is true as regards those species found in the chaparral and 

 mesquite area. In fact this appears to be the meeting and overlapping point of 

 the various breeding ranges. To appreciate this fully, one has to collect a sea- 

 son or two in order to become familiar with the various birds and their pre- 

 ferred localities. 



While this portion of Texas has long been looked upon as thickly popu- 

 lated with Raptores, our observations point to exactly the opposite. Of the 

 birds of prey, the larger hawks are suffering the most rapid decline ; the owls 

 are seemingly holding their own with more success, which is perhaps due to 

 their nocturnal habits and the fact that they are found only in the heaviest 

 timber. We note no decline in either the Black or Turkey vultures, as they are 

 plentiful over the entire county, and not persecuted by gunners as are the 

 hawks and owls. 



The notes and material used in compiling this list were taken during the 

 breeding seasons of 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915 and 1916. As our time has ever been 

 limited, we have not had sufficient opportunity to closely study some species 

 which are to be found in the more remote portions of the county. This is espe- 

 cially true of the warblers and other small species which inhabit the dense 

 cedar brakes. Every precaution has been taken in identifying all of our mate- 

 rial, and no species is admitted to this list of which we have the slightest doubt 

 as to its identity. 



As the reader will note, the majority of our water birds have been observed 

 at Mitchell's Lake. This body of water, covering some twelve hundred acres, 

 lies in the chaparral area of the county, and into it the sewers of San Antonio 

 empty. As the lake is controlled by a local hunting club, the public at large 

 has little access to it, and therefore the birds are not disturbed during their 

 nesting season. Its dense patches of reeds, thickets of willows and other nat- 

 ural attractions, offer ideal nesting sites, advantage of which is being taken by 

 an increasing number of birds and species each year. 



This list has been compiled through our own personal efforts, and believ- 

 ing that records exist of birds nesting here of which we have no data, we will 

 appreciate any information along these lines, as we are anxious to possess as 

 nearly as possible a complete list of the breeding birds of Bexar County. 



Colymbus nigricollis californicus. American Eared Grebe. This species is found 

 only at Mitchell's Lake, where a few pairs nest each season, placing their floating nests 

 in some sheltered nook where they will not be destroyed by the wind or water. They 

 nest in June and July. 



Colymbus dominicus brachypterus. Mexican Grebe. Five nests located in the 

 season of 1916 form our only records of this species. It nests only at Mitchell's Lake, 

 from the latter part of June through July. 



Anhinga anhinga. Anhinga. At Mitchell's Lake a small colony of this species has 

 grown from five pairs of birds in 1913 to about fifteen pairs in 1916. They breed from 

 the middle of May through June. 



Querquedula cyanoptera. Cinnamon Teal. We have observed a few broods of 

 young of this species on Mitchell's Lake* 



Spatula clypeata. Shoveller. Young of this species accompanied by the old fe- 



