A Catalogue of Birds obtained in Navarro County, Texas. ] 97 



thouffli some of tlieir number be killed, at each discharge return- 

 ing again and again to the same tree. They leave this district 

 by the end of February. 



Chrysomitris pinus (Wils.) Pine Finch. — The pine finch is a 

 winter visitor to this part of the State, and even then seems to be 

 very scarce; nevertheless a few straggling examples may occasion- 

 ally be observed associated with the wandering flocks of Astraga- 

 linus tristis, which species it resembles in its habits and mode of 

 feeding, except that it shows a greater preference for the seeds of 

 trees than for those of the weeds; it is, therefore, a more decidedly 

 woodland bird. It doesnot, however, penetrate into the deep timber, 

 but haunts the creeks and edges of the woods and glades. I only 

 observed them between the last weeks of November and January. 



Centrophanes lapponicus (Linn.) Lapland Bunting. — This 

 species is a very common winter visitor to the prairie, where it 

 makes its appearance during the latter half of November in flocks 

 of almost incredible numbers, and spreads itself at once over the 

 bare level districts in company with Rhynchophanes maecowni 

 and Eremophila alpestris. They evince a decided partiality for 

 moist upland localities, though fallow and stubble fields are also 

 frequented, and they are accused of doing much damage to the 

 growing wheat. This, however, is certainly an error, as seeds of 

 various grasses and weeds, especially those of the noxious broom- 

 weed, formed the only food of the numbers which I have ex- 

 amined. They remain with us for a much shorter time than 

 the other longspurs, none being observed after the fii:st week in 

 March. Their flight is peculiar and unmistakeable — rising with 

 a quick spring from the ground, they ascend at once to a height 

 of about one hundred feet, and fly round for a short time in an 

 aimless and desultory manner ; then, suddenly dashing down 

 with extraordinary velocity to within a few inches of the ground, 

 they become transformed from a long, straggling body to a com- 

 pact and organized mass : thus they stream along immediately 

 above the tops of the herbage, often for several hundred yards, 

 when, on a sudden, the foremost bird alights, and, quicker than 

 thought, every other individual drops wherever it may be ; occa- 

 sionally, however, and especially towards evening, they rise 

 again and repeat the whole performance ; if, however, they 

 alight they waste no time looking about them, but immediately 



