12 ON THE ZOOLOGICAL POSITION OF TEXAS. 



AVES. 



Observations on birds in Texas have been so numerous and so care- 

 fully conducted that I devoted Uttle attention to this department. A 

 few species attract the attention of the stranger by their striking char- 

 acter, and I will mention two or three of them. 



The scissor-tail, Milvulus forjicatus, is an important diagnostic species 

 of the Texan zoological district. It occurs in all the parts of Texas I 

 visited excepting the eastern or forest regions. 



The "Mexican eagle," Polyhorus cliiriicay, I only saw near San An- 

 tonio. Like the Uncia onca it is probably a species of the western por- 

 tion of the lands below the first limestone steppe. 



The chaparral cock (Geococcyx viatious) is another diagnostic bird of 

 much interest. Its habits have often been described, but will bear fur- 

 ther mention. It is very abundant in Western Texas throughout the first 

 plateau region as well as in the lowlands, but I did not see it in the wet 

 region east of the ninety-seventh meridian. I found it in the mesquite 

 I)lain, on the north side of the Llano, in latitude 30° 40'. It appears to 

 be restricted in its range by the occurrence of its food, which consists 

 chiefly of lizards. It is an inquisitive bird and not at all cowardly. It 

 emerges from the brush with its long neck and tail in one line, and then 

 stoj)s and raises both in the air as it gazes curiously around. The head 

 is inclined at various angles, with the feathers ruffled, and the tail 

 slowly rises and falls. If it be alarmed it levels its head and tail again, 

 and with the gait of an excited cock runs straight away from the in- 

 truder, without turning to the right or left, for some distance. It evi- 

 dently relies on its speed, and with good reason, for it is with difficulty 

 overtaken by a good horse. Its bottom is, however, not enduring, and 

 it may soon be run down. In i)ursuit of lizards it follows them up rocks 

 and tree trunks. It runs up the nearly vertical surfaces with its claws, 

 aided by its wings, and in a most undignified hurry. When it reaches 

 the smaller limbs the lizard's revolutions round the branches become 

 more rapid, and the motions of the bird correspondingly absurd. At 

 such times it looks more like a confused bundle of loose feathers gyrat- 

 ing round the tree — a truly laughable spectacle. It, however, generally 

 gets the lizard, and then may often be seen standing on a naked limb at 

 the summit of the tree with ojien mouth and dilated breast, considering 

 the further proceedings of its prey, which are now restricted to very 

 close quarters. 



