17° Nehrling on Birds of Southeastern Texas. 
not know. They remain silent during daytime, and commence their 
peculiar cries soon after dusk of evening. The eggs are laid on the bare 
ground in dry places, and are commonly well hidden by thick shrubbery. 
In the dry woods near Spring Creek they are common, but not in the wet 
wooded tracts near -Houston. 
no. Chordiles popetue Bd. Nighthawk. — Seen in very large 
numbers. I saw thousands during a cloudy, rainy day in the early part 
of May, near the borders of woods. They all soon disappeared. 
hi. Chordiles acutiponnis texensis Ridgw. Texan Nighthawk. 
— A regular but somewhat rare summer sojourner. Differs from the pre- 
ceding in many respects. They are more retiring in their habits; they 
also sail very low over ponds and pools of water, where myriads of insects, , | 
especially mosquitoes, abound. Four to six are often seen together, flying | 
quite near each other. I never heard them utter a sound, and do not know 
Where they breed, but I think thej have their nests on the shrubby bor- 
ders of woods, where they are most commonly to be observed when flying. 
They are readily distinguishable from their near relatives, our familiar 
northern Nighthawk, by their peculiar, low, and quiet sailing, and also by 
their smaller size. 
1 12. Campephilus principalis Gray. Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 
— Very rare; I have found it only in the large and dense pine forests in 
the northern part of Harris County and in Montgomery County far from 
human habitations. Very shy and not easy to approach. 
113. Ficus villosus Linn. Hairy Woodpecker. — Frequently seen 
during winter, but only a few times during the breeding season. 
114. Picus scalaris Wagl. Texas Woodpecker. — This beautiful 
little Woodpecker is quite numerous in all wooded districts ; it comes often 
during winter into the gardens of Houston, and is then very unsuspicious. 
I can give no particulars about its nesting habits, as I have never found 
a nest. 
115. Picus pubescens Linn. Downy Woodpecker. — Common; 
breeds in all wooded districts, but is by no means so abundant as I have 
found it to be in Wisconsin. 
116. Picus borealis Vieill. Red-cockaded Woodpecker. — The 
Picus querulus of Wilson is resident in all the large pine woods ; it is very j 
shy, restless, and noisy. The male is very wary during the breeding 
season, and every pair has its own limited breeding range. I discovered a 
nest in an old high pine stump, but it was out of reach. These birds are i 
not rare in heavily wooded districts. I never have seen one in the decid- 
uous woods. 
117. Sphyropicus varius Bd. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. — 
Winter resident from November to March, and then not uncommon, jj 
Always seen singly. 
1 18. Hylotomus pileatus Bd. Pileated Woodpecker. — Common 
resident in all the wooded tracts, in the “post oak” as well as in the bot- 
tom and pine forests. A very noisy species ; its drumming is almost as [ 
loud as that of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. It is not a shy and retiring 
