BIRDS —TYRANNINAE—MILVULUS FORFICATUS. 169 
MILVULUS FORFICATUS, Sw. 
Scissor-tail; Swallow-tailed Flycatcher. 
Muscicapa forficata, Gmein, Syst. Nat. I, 9311788, —Vierior, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 71.—Srepuens, in Shaw’, 
Zool. X, 1, 413; pl. iiii—Bonap. Am. Orn, I, 1825, 15; pl. ii, f. 1.—Aupuson, Orn. Biog. IV° 
1838, 426 ; pl. 359, f. 3. 
Tyrannus forficatus, Say, Long’s Exped. II, 1823, 224.—Nurrari’s Manual, I, 2d ed. 1840, 309. 
Milvulus forficatus,  Swarns.”’ Ricu. List, 1837.—Avupuzon, Synopsis, 1839, 38.—Is. Birds Amer. I, 1840, 197; pl.53 
Tyrannus mexicanus, Sterusns, Shaw Gen. Zool. Birds XIII, 1, 1826, 135, 
Moucherolle a queue fourchue du Mexique, Burron, PI. enl. 677. 
Bird of Paradise of the Texans. 
Sp. Cao.—Wing with the outer primary only abruptly attenuated, and narrowly linear, (for about .85 of an inch) ; the second 
but slightly emarginate ; second quill longest ; first and third equal. Tail very deeply forked, the lateral feathers twice as 
long as the body, all narrow and linear or sub-spatulate. Top and sides of the head very pale ash ; the back a little darker, 
and faintly tinged with light brick red; under parts nearly pure white, tinged towards the tail with light vermilion, rather 
more rose on the under wing coverts; a patch on the side of the breast and along the fore arm dark vermilion red. Tail 
feathers rosy white, tipped at the end for two or three inches with black. Rump dark brown, turning to black on the coverts. 
Wings very dark brown ; the coverts and quills, excepting the primaries, (and including the outer of these) edged with whitish. 
Crown with a concealed patch of white, having some orange red in the centre, 
Length, 13 inches ; wing, 4.75 ; tail, 8.50 ; depth of fork, 5.80. 
Hab.—Central Texas to Mexico. 
This exquisitely beautiful and graceful bird is quite abundant on the prairies of southern 
Texas, and is everywhere conspicuous among its kindred species. It is usually known as the 
scissor-tail from the habit of closing and opening the long feathers of the tail like the blades 
of a pair of scissors. The adult female is very similar, though rather smaller. The young 
is not conspicuously different, only lacking the concealed patch of the head. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. |Sex. Locality. When collected.| Whence obtained. | Orig. | Collected by— | Length. | Stretch | Wing. 
No. No. of wings. 
5059 |.---| Head of Devil’s river-| May 2, 1855} Capt. Pope_----- 65) |sacnaeocoeeeaee 13.50 | 13.00 5.00 
4974: |.=--| Kt: Chadbourne, Tex_|...--<---occ-- Tre S Witte mee | cere | meine eee at eee Eat lee ee eto | oreo = 
OI BRSH Baer ee Cais SSS Paneer PP (0st, ae Ne ee ae ee eee ee een Menem ee baa sor 
W3i4.} © | San Antonio, Texas_-|..-.-..---<=-- Litid..Gabarker-|---s-2 ‘DrisHeermann.|22 22. 2a leesenens| nase = 
Teton tisesse= dOuaseaneneaee|atcceneecesons ees Co ee ne Rie ed | ae since dO en ac See eon oneaaae [poeta See eae 
Waele | lee sine eke Oza ts sake een July —, 1853] Lt.A.W.Whipple) 15 | Dr. Kennerly ---| 14.00 | 14.00 |.-..-. 
7376 | ....| Eagle pass, Texas----|.. ganeenn onan Major Emory....|...-.- A Schott eesaa-|-sesoeee|acceaces|oaneae 
USI Read Prema (6 ees PREC eces mestdous’ 2aje.$) 222-28 SHE ee le conte pee croce| Remcoe 
7382 OalplowerTexas-.2- == 22]. 2225.22 -5--- a Idostar 272 =e 12) Jods Clarks... <- 11. 25 14. 00 4,25 
T3835 |e oul |toman doz irene ectce|besenaccnacos Yrs d0necssaeanc|eseans bet dOecsminwianss 14.00 | 15.00} 4.25 
W384 | go |ocnaes dosaatee ses. ctloaamamcaacseces a (ees eee ae W2is52<00>-sseecse 13.00 | 15.00] 4.25 
3997 | @ | Tamaulipas, Mex_--.| Mar. —, 1853 | Lt. Couch ....-- 107g tease ae oacsens|ss0sneee|s-->———elbenoees 
S097 e22e WMexicosmea- == seaees| ase ce Ceo cos Ms‘Verreaux 2222|29733" |o<e-.2- es ae Se | A eee ea eee 
2964, -2clSouthy America-ss-sc|see-seesessece Sethe Baird) 22.22/22 eo~ ee ae Bee Poses) ok el ee 
