138 On the Vireos (or Greenlets ) of North America.


Mexico and Texas. The country on either hand was undulating and

rather treeless, but there was plenty of scrub, and big bushes which

might almost have ranked as trees. The ground, as far as the eye

could see, was carpeted with flowers—blue lupins, yellow esch-

scholtzias, crimson verbenas, and hundreds of others—and “ among

the buds and blossoms ” there were plenty of birds.


I fear most of our fellow-travellers were very much bored by

the delay, but I was delighted, for an hour or two in this paradise of

birds and flowers was a chance in a lifetime ! After a short stroll

along the track I sat in the shade of the “ observation ” platform,

and watched Scissor-tailed Tyrants, and many other delightful

“ winged things,” flitting about in the sunshine. One small bird was

flying from hush to bush so close to me that I could see every detail

of his form and colour quite distinctly. I watched him for several

minutes before he flew farther afield. I noted at the time the

following description : “ Small bird (about five in.), I don’t know him

at all; colour olive-green, white breast shaded with greyish-green on

the sides. Top and sides of head black, legs rather dark. Bill like

a Vireo or Shrike.” It was not till many months later that I was

able to compare my note with any hook on birds. The only descrip¬

tion I could find that tallied with it, and, in fact, gives every detail, is

Dr. Coue’s description of the Black-headed Vireo (V. atricapillus), of

which he says only three specimens are known ! He gives the

locality as “ south-west Texas.” Perhaps it is within the range of

possibility that the small fellow I watched and noted from the train

that lovely April day was a fourth specimen of this extremely rare

bird ?


I only mention this little incident to show that any observation

of birds may he “ worth while ” ; there is always a chance that

something rare, or even something new, may be noted in such lucky

moments. A bird-lover must always go about with open eyes and

open mind ; we never know what delightful surprises may be in

store for us, or what little link we may add to the chain of bird

history and bird lore.



