43 LLW01F 1964 Aimophila cassinii July 5 Welder Wildlife Foundation, San Patricio Co., Texas Habitat summary: generally xeric areas with mesquite and Celtis as dominant woody species. Also Zanthoxylum, + a little blackbrush. Two areas where I watched sparrows differed in degree of closeness of woody vegetation. At mesquite tank woody plants covered >50% of ground + grass species including Stipa leucotricha, Panicum filifer, + Aristida sp. grew up to 12-18" in essentially continuous layer with few annuals. Grasses seemed to occur as paths + arenas in mesquite. Mesquite mostly clumps of running form, but some shrubs up to 5-10 feet tall. Other area mostly nearly bare ground, noticeably overgrazed. Main taller woody species were mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) + hackberry (Celtis pallida). Also some Zanthoxylum. Woody forms up to 6-8' tall + much more scattered than at mesquite tank - primarily due to noticeable reduction in amount of running mesquite. Now only isolated clumps. Ground cover mostly herbs. Some areas are grassy, but grass is only up to 10-12" & mostly shorter. Area here is much more open. Birds in ferr. #'s at mesquite tank also used pasture area w scattered 20-25' mesquites. Other woody plants not above 18" level of grasses. In both areas Opuntia lindheimeri + O. leptocaulis were common. At mesquite tank O. leptocaulis very common in running mesquite & around Celtis brush.