THE SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 



FLYCATCHERS are all interest 

 ing, and many of them are 

 beautiful, but the Scissor- 

 tailed species of Texas is 

 : specially attractive. They are also 

 Lnown as the Swallow- tailed Fly- 

 jatcher, and more frequently as the 

 ! Texan Bird of Paradise." It is a 

 ominon summer resident throughout 

 ;he greater portion of that state and 

 jtie Indian Territory, and its breeding 

 jange extends northward into Southern 

 kansas. Occasionally it is found 

 i southwestern Missouri, western 

 Arkansas, and Illinois. It is accidental 

 i the New England states, the North- 

 i/est Territory, and Canada. It arrives 

 j bout the middle of March and returns 

 b its winter home in Central America 

 i October. Some of the birds remain 

 i the vicinity of Galveston throughout 

 lie year, moving about in small flocks. 

 There is no denying that the grace- 

 Illness of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 

 iiould well entitle him to the admira- 

 .011 of bird-lovers, and he is certain to 

 e noticed wherever he goes. The 

 png outer tail feathers he can open 

 |nd close at will. His appearance is 

 (lost pleasing to the eye when flutter- 

 jig slowly from tree to tree on the 

 kther open prairie, uttering his 

 lettering notes, "Spee-spee." When 

 (basing each other in play or anger 

 jiese birds have a harsh note like 

 'Thish-thish," not altogether agree- 

 Ible. Extensive timber land is shunned 

 y this Flycatcher, as it prefers more 

 pen country, though it is often seen 

 i the edges of woods. It is not often 

 *en on the ground, where its move- 

 lents are rather awkward. Its amia- 

 ility and social disposition are ob- 

 ^rved in the fact that several pairs 

 nil breed close to each other in 



perfect harmony. Birds smaller than 

 itself are rarely molested by it, but it 

 boldly attacks birds of prey. It is a 

 restless bird, constantly on the lookout 

 for passing insects, nearly all of which 

 are caught on the wing and carried to 

 a perch to be eaten. It eats moths, 

 butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers,locusts, 

 cotton worms, and, to some extent, 

 berries. Its usefulness cannot be 

 doubted. According to Major Bendire, 

 these charming creatures seem to be 

 steadily increasing in numbers, being 

 far more common in many parts of 

 Texas, where they are a matter of 

 pride with the people, than they were 

 twenty years ago. 



The Scissor- tails begin housekeep 

 ing some time after their arrival from 

 Central America, courting and love 

 making occupying much time before 

 the nest is built. They are not hard 

 to please in the selection of a suitable 

 nesting place, almost any tree standing 

 alone being selected rather than a 

 secluded situation. The nest is bulky, 

 commonly resting on an exposed limb, 

 and is made of any material that may 

 be at hand. They nest in oaks, 

 mesquite, honey locust, mulberry, 

 pecan, and magnolia trees, as well as 

 in small thorny shrubs, from five to 

 forty feet from the ground. Rarely 

 molested they become quite tame. 

 Two broods are often raised. The 

 eggs are usually five. They are hatched 

 by the female in twelve days, while 

 the male protects the nest from sus 

 picious intruders. The young are fed 

 entirely on insects and are able to 

 leave the nest in two weeks. The 

 eggs are clear white, with markings of 

 brown, purple, and lavender spots and 

 blotches. 



163 



