THE SCISSOE-TAILEl) FLYCATCHER. 235 



a typical nest, is now before me; it is externally constructed of fine rootlets, 

 mixed with stems of Evax mnUicuiiIis, which are well worked into tlie outer 

 walls. The inner cup of the nest is lined with fine plant fibers, with a little 

 wool, and a few feathers. This nest is symmetrical in outline and compactly 

 built; it was securely fastened on the forks of a small oak limb, and was pre- 

 sented to the United States National Museum collection by Mr. H. P. Attwater, 

 Rockport, Texas. Externally it measures 6 inches in diameter by 2| in depth; 

 its inner diameter is 3 inches by 2 in depth. Other nests .in the collection are 

 much more loosely constructed and fully twice as bulky, due no doubt to the 

 character of the materials used in their construction; and again, some birds are 

 much neater and better builders and housekeepers than others. 



A nest taken by Dr. E. A. Mearns, United States Army, on April 29, 1893, 

 from an oak tree situated on the edge of the parade ground at Fort Clarke, 

 Texas, is mainly composed of strong cotton twine, mixed with a few twigs, weed 

 stems, and rags ; even the inner lining consists mostly of twine. How the female 

 managed to use this without getting hopelessly entangled is astonishing. The 

 previous season's nest still remained in the same tree, and a considerable quan- 

 tity of twine entered also into its composition. The earliest nesting record I 

 have is April 19, at Brownsville, Texas, where fresh eggs have also been found as 

 late as July 6 ; and it appears more than probable that two broods are raised in 

 many instances, at least in the southern portions of their breeding range. After 

 the nest, which is constructed in about a week, is ready for occupancy, an egg is 

 deposited daily until the clutch is completed; this usually consists of five eggs, 

 occasionally of four or six. Incubation lasts about twelve days, and the female 

 appears to perform this duty alone, while the male remains in the vicinity, and 

 promptly chases away every suspicious intruder who may venture too close to 

 the nest. The young are fed exclusively on an insect diet, and are able to leave 

 the nest in about two weeks. Both parents assist in their care. In the late 

 summer they congregate in considerable numbers in the cotton fields and open 

 prairies preparatory to their migration south. 



The shell of the egg of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is smooth to the 

 touch, strong, compact, and moderately glossy. The eggs are usually clear 

 white, occasionally pale creamy white, and rarely of a very pale pinkish ground 

 color. The markings consist of claret brown, heliotrope purple, and lavender 

 spots, and elongated blotches, varying in size and abundance in different speci- 

 mens; the larger end of the egg is generally the heaviest spotted; but few of 

 these eggs can be called heavily marked, and occasionally a specimen is found 

 which is almost immaculate, the few markings on it being confined to the larger 

 end only. In shape they vary from an ovate to a rounded ovate. 



The average measurement of one hundred and seven eggs in the United 

 States National Museum collection is 22.51 by 16.96 millimetres, or about 0.89 

 by 0.67 inch. The largest egg of the series measures 23.88 by 18.29 milli- 

 metres, or 0.94 by 0.72 inch; the smallest, 20.32 by 15.49 millimetres, or 0.80 

 by 0.61 inch. 



