98 
THE CONDOR 
Von. XII 
ings, before the dew condensed on the roofs of the city buildings has been dissipated 
by the sun, I have observed them searching for the minute insects that the moisture 
held confined. 
Meadowlarks {Sturueila) are fairly numerous during the warm season, and 
very abundant in winter months. During the cold season, both Western ( S . ncg- 
Icctii) and the Texan (S. magna hoopesi ) Meadowlarks occur in large flocks, but 
as a rule, the species remain separate. Most of the Western Meadowlarks disap- 
pear in April, as also does a good percentage of the Texan variety, but the individ- 
uals of the latter species that remain outnumber the other twenty to one. Three or 
four crippled Meadowlarks, that were taken last winter all showed a condition of 
semi -melanism. 
An intense interest is aroused in studying the giant flycatcher of our North 
American list, the Derby (Pitang'us sulphuratus derbianus ) — firstly because it is a 
really imposing bird, and brightly adorned for a flycatcher; and secondly, a bird pos- 
sessing a large degree of individuality. While not ultra-pugnacious like the King- 
bird, still they do not particularly prize a peaceful atmosphere, sometimes taking 
the offensive for the sole pleasure of it. They rarely quarrel among themselves, 
but maybe this is only on account of their being too thinly dispersed within our 
territory to impinge upon each other’s rights. On one occasion this year, a Derby 
Flycatcher was noticed far from timber, pursuing insects from a fence running par- 
allel with the public road — but such instances are rare. Apparently it is the only 
flycatcher that breeds in heavy brush or timber within this Valley, unless certain 
of the Empidonaces are found to be local breeders. Preliminary attempts at nest- 
building consume a month in time before the real w ? ork begins; which must nearly 
exhaust their energies, judging from the size of nest they build. The Derby Fly- 
catcher is another of our perennially mated species, noisy during the breeding 
season, but rather quiet thereafter. Generally speaking, whenever I have come 
upon them it was to find them with head feathers erected. They appear no more 
suspicious of man’s presence than the smaller tyrants; and when disturbed are 
likely to seek a new perch but a few feet distant from their former position. 
I have found only three species of flycatchers here during the winter months, 
the Derby Flycatcher, the eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phcebe) and its western con- 
genor the Say Phoebe ( Say or n is saya) . Both species arrive almost simultaneously 
during the last days of October; and each take to their particular type of hunting 
ground — the Say Phoebe to the open semi-arid tracts, while the common Phoebe 
hovers about edges of copses and gardens. The Say Phoebe while here proves the 
shyer of the two species, and is also .the least numerous. Both leave quite earl)y 
the departing dates this year being February 19 for the Say, and March 29 for the 
eastern species. It is possible that the Vermilion Flycatcher ( Pyrocephcilus mbi- 
neus mexicanus) and Least Flycatcher ( Empidonax minimus ) may also be found 
in winter, especially the last named bird, as a record exists of its having been taken 
at Point Isabel on February 7, 1880. But my careful search for it as such has as 
yet proved fruitless; in fact I find the genus entirely unrepresented here for more 
than six months of the year. The Green-crested Flycatcher (E. virescens) the 
first representative to appear in spring, did not appear this year until May 7. The 
Valley is a meeting ground for both Pewees ( Myiochanes ) but the eastern species 
( M . virens) is the prevailing type, and the only one to breed, I believe. M. virens 
appeared this year on April 8. Pewees, however, are seemingly not numerous at 
any time, outside of a few weeks in April. One of the tardiest migrants this 
past spring was the Olive-sided Flycatcher ( Nuttcillornis borealis ) which crost 
the Rio Grande into our country on May 12. The number of them was consider- 
