BIRDS—TYEANNINAE—MILVULUS FOEFIGATUS. 
169 
MILVULUS FORFICATUS, Sw. 
Scissor-tail; Swallow-tailed Flycatcher. 
Musciisapa fo:ficala, Gmelin, Syst Nat. I, 1788, 931.— Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 71.— Stephens, in Shaw’, 
Zool. X, ii, 413; pi. iii.— Bonap. Am. Orn, I, 1525, 15 ; pi. ii, f. 1.— Audubon, Orn. Biog. IV 
1838, 426 ; pi. 359, f. 3. 
Tyrannus forficatus, Sat, Long’s Exped. IT, 1823, 224.— Nuttall’s Manual, I, 2d ed. 1840, 309. 
Milvulus forficatus^ “ Swains.” Rich. List, 1837.— Audubon, Synopsis, 1839, 38.— Ib. Birds Amer. 1, 1840,197 ; pi.53 
Tyrannus mexicanus , Stephens, Shaw Gen. Zook Birds XIII, u, 1826, 135. 
Moucherolle a queue fourchue du Mexique , Buffon, PI. enl. 677. 
Bird of Paradise of the Texans. 
Sp. Ch. —Wing with the outer primary only abruptly attenuated, and narrowly linear, (for about .85 of an inch) ; the second 
but slightly emarginqte ; second qui.l longest; first and third equal. Tail very deeply forked, the lateral feathers twice as 
long as the body, all narrow and linear or sub-spatulate. Top and sides of the head very pale ash ; the back a little darker, 
and faintly tinged with light brick red ; under parts nearly pure white, tinged towards the "tail with light vermilion, rather 
more rose cn the under wing coverts ; a patch on the side of the breast and along the fore arm dark vermilion red. Tail 
feathers rosy while, tipped at the end for two or three inches with black. Rump dark brown, turning to black on the coverts. 
Wings very dark brown ; the coverts and quills, excepting the primaries, (and including the outer of these) edged with whitish. 
Crown with a concealed patch of white, having some orange red in the centre. 
Length, 13 inches ; wing, 4.75 ; tail, 8.50 ; depth of fork, 5.80. 
Hab. —Central Texas to Mexico. 
This exquisitely beautiful and graceful bird is quite abundant on the prairies of southern 
Texas, and is everywhere conspicuous among its kindred species. It is usually known as the 
scissor-tail from the habit of closing and opening the long feathers of the tail like the blades 
of a pair of scissors. The adult female is very similar, though rather smaller. The young 
is not conspicuously different, only lacking the concealed patch of the head. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex 8 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings 
Wing. 
5059 
Head of Devil's river. 
May 2, 1855 
Capt. Pope_ 
65 
13.50 
13.00 
5.00 
4974 
Ft. Chadbourne, Tex. 
Dr. Swift_.... 
4975 
7374 
Q 
San Antonio, Texas.. 
Lt. J. G. Parke .. 
Dr. Heermann .. 
7375 
7381 
July —, 1853 
Lt. A. W. "Whipple 
Major Emory _ „.. 
15 
Dr. Kermerly _ 
A. Schott _ 
14. 00 
14. 00 
7376 
Eagle pass, Texas.... 
7377 
7382 
Q 
Lower Texas*®--.... 
12 
J. H. Clark..... 
11. 25 
14. 00 
4. 25 
7383 
14. 00 
15. 00 
4. 25 
7384 
s 
12 
13. 00 
15. 00 
4. 25 
3997 
A 
Tamaulipas, Mex.... 
Mar. —, 1853 
107 
9097 
29733 
2964 
South America...... 
So Fo Baird - ---- 
1 
