Brown’s Reconnoissance in Southwest ern Texas. 4 1 
76 b. Colaptes auratus mexicanus ( 5 w.) Ridg. Red-shafted 
Flicker. — One specimen, taken Jan. 2. Others doubtless occurred 
amongst the shy Flickers which escaped my gun. 
77. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.) Boie. Belted Kingfisher. — A pair 
seen on Feb. 18, one of which was shot by a friend on Feb. 21. 
78. Geococcyx calif ornianus ( Less .) Bd. Chaparral Cock. — 
Though said by the inhabitants to be usually numerous, I found it rare 
during my stay. 
79. Tinnunculus sparveriuS ( Linn .) Vieill. Sparrow Hawk. — 
Common winter visitant. 
80. Accipiter fuscus (Gm.) Bp. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Common 
winter visitant. 
81. Cathartes aura (. Linn. ) Illig. Turkey Buzzard. — Common 
resident. 
82. Catharista atrata ( Wils .) Less. Black Vulture. — Common 
resident. 
83. Zenaidura carolinensis (Linn.) Bfi. Carolina Dove. — In great 
numbers throughout my stay. 
84. Meleagris gallopavo, Linn. Mexican Turkey. — The Boerne 
Hotel occasionally favored its guests with Wild Turkey obtained of ranche- 
men from the surrounding country, but I did not meet with the bird 
myself. 
85. Ortyx virginiana texana (Lawr.) Cones. Taxas Quail. — 
Uncommon resident. Nearly all of my specimens lack the outer one or 
two joints of all the toes, — a result, perhaps, of excessive cold. . 
86. Ardea herodias, Linn. Great Blue Heron. — Occasionally 
observed. 
87. Charadrius dominicus, Mull. Golden Plover. — Uncommon 
after March 9, which was the date, of its arrival. 
88. Oxyechus vociferus (Linn.) Reich. Kildeer. — Abundant resi- 
dent. 
89. Podasocys montanus ( Towns.) Cones. Mountain Plover. — 
Occurs uncommonly in the migrations. A flock of about twenty indi- 
viduals encountered on Jan. 2 ; two specimens taken on March 15 ; and a 
flock of a dozen or more seen on March 17. They were very tame, but, 
from some peculiar constitutional trait, difficult to kill. This Plover was 
not procured in southern Texas by Mr. Sennett nor by Dr. Merrill. It 
was, however, met with by Mr. Dresser,* and two specimens obtained in 
the State by other collectors are catalogued in the ninth volume of Pacific 
Railroad Reports. 
90. Gallinago media wilsoni (Temm.) Ridg. Wilson’s Snipe. — In 
thejcourse of the winter I met with perhaps a dozen individuals, at one 
particular spot in the bed of the creek, where a little grass afforded 
partial cover. Specimens which I shot are exactly similar to eastern 
examples in plumage, but when freshly killed all agreed in having pale, 
* See Ibis, 1866, p. 33. 
