Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscences Page: 86 of 322
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86 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES.
dense brush and ravines along Both were of about the same
the newly fenced hilly region, but size, smalleer than a neuborn
ultimately my friend recognized chick, and of a slight yellowishthe
white objects on the place white color, with a few gray spots
we had marked. We approached and strips along the back part of
very cautiously to see if the oll their fuzzy body. Though small
bullbat was still there, and were they were a lively lot, and both
disappointed for a while at least. quickly tried to escape-running
There was no trace of the old bull
as fast as a pair of baby quail
bat on that spot, but further off under the shady and rocky brush.
one was seen flying close to the After focusing the spot of enground
among the mesquite trees. counter, and after placing some
On closer inspection of the place, of the eggshells close by the little
where we had seen the eggs seven fellows, a short time view was
days previous, I noticed several taken with slightly reverted cameeggshells
lying around, this, of ra. From general appearance, it
course, led us to search around seems both of the young birds
for the new offspring (my friend were only twos or three days old.
suggesting shortly before that Gradually the body feathers assome
ground squirrel or other ro
sume more of a light brown color,
dent or a snake may have disposed. and the birds grow very rapidly,
of the two eggs.) After quite a so that in a week or two they are
little while, my friend all at once less easy to capture and photoexclaimed:
"Here they are, Doc
graph. After making it as comforttor"!
and sure enough, the two able as possible for the little bird
little baby bullbats were crouch
kids, we left them under the shady
ing on the ground under a more place, which as stated was covered
all around with the peculiar dark
shady acacia brush close by, and d e e of rock
(India) red fragments of rock
here also I took the view of them scattered around these hilly reseen
above. gions.
The Cliffswallow's Mud Nest
I herein present to my readers a pices and nearly always along
view of the cliff swallow clinging to and above some rivulet, and always
its oval shaped nest, and also a some ten to twenty and more
second rare view of the Texas cliff feet above water-if such is present
swallow's mud nests, with one They plaster their building material
of the nests exposing the eggs. -some soft clay in much the same
The photo was prepared after manner as does the mud dauber
considerable difficulty in getting wasp against rough walls of rocks,
to the nests, for reason of the steep and always high enough to protect
rock precipices on which they them from their many enemies;
were attached-with hundreds of and during breeding time myriads
a similar kind. Such nests have of the small swallows or martins
been cursorily alluded to in others can be seen building their nest
of my reminiscences of Texas amidst a fearful noise they make
nature-objects; t h e s e w e r e when being disturbed. Swarms
reproduced during an outing years of them continually circle again
ago in West Medina County where and again and e m it a pecuthey
are encountered in large liar screeching noise whilst others
numbers along the high rock preci
take a rest on their large mud
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Menger, Rudolph. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscences, book, 1913; San Antonio, Tex.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14396/m1/86/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.