TYRANNUS. 97 
TYRANNUS. 
Tyrannus, Cuvier, Leg. An. Comp. i. t. 2 (1800); Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. p. 267. 
Laphyctes, Reich. Av. Syst. t. xvi. (1850). | 
Melittarchus, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. ii. p. 80. 
Of the eleven recognized species of Tyrannus seven occur within our limits, of which 
T. pipiri is a winter visitor from the north, 7. griseus and T. magnirostris stragglers 
from the Antilles, and 7. verticalis from western North America. This leaves three 
resident species, of which 7. melancholicus is by far the most abundant, being found in 
all but the more elevated districts; the others are 7. crassirostris of Western Mexico 
and Guatemala, and 7. vociferans of the Mexican and Guatemalan highlands, a bird 
which also occurs in Western North America. 
Tyrannus has a stout bill, the width of which at the gape is considerably less than 
half the length of the tomia; the sides of the bill are nearly straight or slightly convex, 
the terminal hook being well developed ; the supranasal feathers are short and stiff, the 
setee extending over the otherwise open nearly round nostril; the rictal bristles are 
short but strong; the tarsi are short, and with the feet moderately strong. The wings 
have the outer feathers pointed by the abrupt reduction of the width of their inner 
webs; but this is characteristic of the male, these feathers in the female being normal. 
The 3rd quill is slightly shorter than the 2nd and 4th; lst < 6th > 7th; the tail is 
forked in some species, slightly rounded in others, ># wing, <5 tarsus. 
A. Rostrum mediocre haud incrassatum. 
a. Subtus albus. 
1. Tyrannus pipiri. 
Lanius tyrannus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 186°. 
Tyrannus tyrannus, Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. p. 328’. 
Lanius tyrannus, y. carolinensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 302°. 
Tyrannus carolinensis, Baird, B. N. Am. p.171*; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N.Y. vii. p. 183°; Bull. U.S. 
Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 28°; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. ii. p. 8316"; Sennett, Bull. 
U.S. Geol. Surv. iv. p. 31°; Coues, Birds N. W. p. 235°; Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 482"; 
Ridgw. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus.i. p. 471". 
Tyrannus pipiri, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. i. p. 73, t. 44°; Scl. & Salv. P. Z.S. 1870, p. 837"; Gundl. 
Orn. Cub. p. 74"*; Boucard, P. Z. 8S. 1883, p. 448"; Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. 
p. 267. 
Tyrannus intrepidus, Vieill. Gal. Ois. p. 214, t. 1837; Sw. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 868°; Scl. 
P. Z. 8. 1858, p. 802", 1859, p. 883”; Moore, P. Z.S. 1859, p. 55”; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 
1859, p. 120”; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. vii. p. 295”; Salv. Ibis, 1864, pp. 878~, 380”; 
Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 557°. 
Supra griseo-nigricans ; capite nigro, crista coccinea celata ornato; uropygio nigro albido limbato; alis nigris 
D D ’ >] > 2 g 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. II., March 1889. 13 
