TEIE SUNNY SOUTH OOLOGIST. 



17 



of each species named dnrins^ 1885. 

 March 27tli, Pileated Woodpecker, 

 Cardinal Grosbeak; April 2nd, Tur- 

 key-Buzzard, Bhick Vulture, Tufted 

 Titmouse; April 7th, Carolina Chick- 

 adee, Kildeer; April 10th, Swallow- 

 tailed Kite; April 11 tb, Texan Screech 

 Owl, Carolina Dove; April 15th, Red- 

 bellied Woodpecker; April 17th, Yel- 

 low-throated Vireo; April 20th, Com- 

 mon Crow, Wild Turkey; April 27tli, 

 Mockinobird; April 28th, Carolina 

 Wren; May 4th, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 

 Dwarf Cowbird; May 8th, Lark Finch, 

 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Texas Or- 

 chard Oriole, Yellows-winged Spar- 

 row; May 9ih, Black-throa<",ed Bunt- 

 ing, Painted Bunting, Summer Red- 

 bird; May 11th, Texan Quail, Blue 

 Grosbeak; Mny 18th, Meadow Lark; 

 May 22nd, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; 

 June 3d, Bronzed Grackle; June 8th, 

 Boat-tailed Grackle; June 19th, King- 

 bird, the second set tiiat I have taken 

 in Texas durino- six years' collecting. 



J. A. SiNGLEY, 



Giddino's, Texas. 



The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 



(milvulus forficatus (Gm.) swains.) 



This beautiful bird is one of the 

 commonest summer residents of North 

 Texas. They usuall}^ arrive from the 

 south about the 15th of April in small 

 tiocks or pairs, and alwaj's make them- 

 selves known b}' their loud and noise- 

 some voices. This bird has a very 

 peculiar way when flying, of stopping 

 — as it appears — in the air, and then 

 making a straight shoot upward to the 

 height of fifteen or twent}' feet, and 

 instantl}' darting downward to about 

 a level with where it started. This is 

 alw^aj'S repeated two or three times 

 before taking their onward flight. 

 While making this tumble as it w^ere, 

 it alwaj's gives loud, quick screams, 

 and is very conspicuous b}' the dis- 

 play it makes in opening and closing 

 the tail like scissor blades. It is a 

 very active, dashing and noisy bird; 



also very showy and graceful. The 

 general color is a hoar3^-ash, almost 

 white below, with a scarlet crown 

 patch, and a bright scarlet on the sides 

 at insertion of wings. The wings have 

 a blackish cast with whitish under- 

 parts, and various parts of the body 

 are tinged with a rich salmon. Most 

 of the tail feathers are black or dusky, 

 while some- of the longer ones are 

 mostl}^ white oi rosy; these feathers 

 are long and narrow, sometimes reach- 

 ing a foot in length. The above de- 

 scription is that of a male now lying 

 before me. The female averages 

 smaller, and the tail is much shorter, 

 while the color of the plumage is duller 

 than that of the male. 



They begin to nest about the ] 0th 

 of May, and fresh eggs may be found 

 as late as June 25th. The nest and 

 eggs resemble those of the kingbird 

 very much, and it is almost impossi- 

 ble to distinguish them from each 

 other, unless they are well identified; 

 but, as a general thing, the scissor- 

 tails' eggs have larger and more con- 

 spicuous blotches than those of the 

 kingbird. During the summer of '85 

 I found nests of the kingbird and 

 scissor tail in the same tree, and the 

 nests and eggs were identicall}^ the 

 same ; so to naake sure of the identv, 

 I had to wait until both birds had oc- 

 cupied their own nest. 



Their favorite nesting places are in 

 the scrubby postoak and mesquite 

 bushes growing on our broad praries . 

 The nests are usuall}' placed in forks 

 at from six to thirtv feet from the 

 ground, and constructed of various 

 materials, such as weed-tops, wool, 

 cotton, rootlets, paper, rags, etc., and 

 lined with fibrous roots, wool, cotton, 

 etc 



The number of eggs laid are usually 

 four or five in number, of a rounded- 

 oval shape, the color being white, 

 boldl}^ blotched or marked with red- 

 dish-brown, and obscure lavender 

 shell markings, chiefly at the lai-ger 

 end. The size of the eo-gs averages 

 about .67 by .85. E. C. Davis. 



