MERRILL'S PAURAQUE 205 



great distance. The preliminary whetvs vary somewhat in number, 

 and late in the season are often omitted altogether." 



Mr. Burrows wrote to Major Bendire (1895) : "At the approach 

 of the breeding season and as early as the middle of March the pe- 

 culiar whistle of the Parauque becomes general, and along the lower 

 Rio Grande, where they are common, it may be heard on all sides. 

 * * * The birds begin to call as the dusk of evening comes on. 

 The commonest call is a long-drawn 'ko, whe-e-e-e-e-w', much pro- 

 longed, and raised to a high pitch toward the last. This is repeated 

 often and with great energy, and on a still night may be heard at a 

 long distance. At other times the first syllable is omitted. Again it 

 is varied by a repetition of the first syllable, as 'ko, ko, ko, ko- 

 whe-e-e,' the first syllables repeated deliberately, and the last not so 

 long-drawn and suddenly cut short." He also refers to a short put, 

 put note, resembling one of the notes of a wild turkey. 



The name of the pauraque is said to have been derived from a 

 fancied resemblance to one of its notes ; the same is true of its Mexi- 

 can name, cuiejo. 



Winter. — The pauraque is a permanent resident in southern Texas 

 and farther south, and even as far north as the Nueces River Mr. 

 Burrows found it "to be fairly common" during the winter and 

 spring of 1894. He met with it during the winter in Starr County, 

 southern Texas, and says : "When the nesting season is over the birds 

 remain quiet, and their peculiar whistling note is not heard with 

 regularity, and yet, on very warm niglits during each of the winter 

 months, I have occasionally heard them. During the winter the 

 birds may be flushed from the dense thickets in the bottom lands." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southern Texas and northeastern Mexico; not regularly 

 migratory. 



The range of Merrill's pauraque extends north to southern Texas 

 (Refugio County and Aransas County). East to Texas (Aransas 

 County, Corpus Christi, Rio Hondo, and Browns\dlle) ; eastern 

 Tamaulipas (Aldama, Altamira, and Tampico) ; and Veracruz (Mira- 

 dor and Jalapa). South to central Veracruz (Jalapa) ; and Puebla 

 (Metlaltoyuca and Tehuacan). West to southeastern Puebla Tehua- 

 can) ; western Tamaulipas (Santa Leonor and Rio Cruz) ; and Texas 

 Lomita, Neuces County, San Patricio County, and Refugio County). 



Closely allied races of this bird are found in Central and South 

 America. 



Egg dates. — Mexico : 9 records, March 22 to June 22. 



Texas : 66 records, March 5 to June 26 ; 33 records, April 15 to May 

 16. indicating the height of the season. 



