A Gatatogue of Birds obtained in Navarro County, Texas. 219 



early in March by the main body of their partners, straggling 

 bands of females may be observed up to the middle of the succeed- 

 ing month. During the greater part of their stay they frequent 

 the cotton fields and bare sandy parts of the prairie in company, 

 with the different species of Plectrophanes, but though feeding 

 along with them, keep separate in flight ; in severe weather they 

 resort to the neighbourhood of barns and dwelling-houses, and 

 may even be seen searching for food in the streets of the larger 

 towns. I never saw these birds alight upon trees, but they 

 perch very commonly upon rail fences ; they pass the night on 

 the ground, squatting in the wagon-tracks and hoof-marks on 

 roads crossing the higher parts of the prairie. The call-note is a 

 clear musical whistle, and is uttered both at rest and in flight, 

 having, when a number of birds are present, a very pleasing effect. 

 The food of the shore lark consists of small insects and seeds 

 which are always more or less intermixed with coarse gravel. 

 Therace separated by Dr. Coues as Otocorys leucolceona is equally 

 common here with its eastern representative and is the earlier o£ 

 the two to arrive and the later to depart, for which reason we may 

 infer that it does not migrate so far in search of summer quarters. 

 When both forms are here they mix together in the same flock, 

 nor is there the slightest difference in habits or note. 



MiLVULUS FORFICATUS, (Gmel.) Scissor-tail — The Bird of 

 Paradise, as this beautiful fly-catcher is called in Texas, is an 

 abundant visitor to our district, where it frequents the open lands, 

 and forms an eminently characteristic feature of prairie life. They 

 begin to arrive about the latter end of March and though migrating 

 singly or in pairs, show an inclination to gather into small flocks 

 on their arrival : they are at all times social birds, fond of the 

 company of their own species, and though from the nature of their 

 breeding places, they are forced to scatter during the periods of 

 incubation, they quickly resume their gregarious habits upon the 

 completion of those duties. Nearly every isolated tree upon the 

 prairie bears at least one nest, which is generally, but not always 

 placed at some distance from the main stem, and is loosely con- 

 structed of roots, grass, cotton, and other substances, among which 

 the Texas everlasting 'plant is invariably present. The eggs are 

 four or five in number, and two broods are produced during the 



SciEN. Pboc. K,D.S., Vol. in., Pt. v. T 2 



