INSESSORES : LIOTRICHID^E. 189 



half the length of the second ; the upper parts bright 

 olivaceous-green ; under parts white, the sides of the 

 breast and body yellow. The space around the eyes is 

 greenish yellow, and the iris is white ; the wings have two 

 yellowish-white bands. This bird frequents the thickest 

 bushes. It sings with great spirit, and often throughout 

 the day. The nest is attached to the twigs of a low 

 bush ; eggs four to six, pure white, marked with dark 

 spots near the larger end. 



Hutton's Flycatcher, V. Huttoni, Cass., of Southern 

 California, is about the same size as the preceding one, 

 but has the bill much more slender. 



The Blue-headed Flycatcher, V. solitarius, Vieill., of 

 North America, is five and a half inches long, the wing 

 two and four tenths inches, the spurious primary very 

 small ; olive green above, top and sides of the head and 

 upper part of the neck dark bluish-ash ; under parts 

 white, the sides under the wings greenish yellow. 



The Yellow-throated Flycatcher, V. flavifrons, Vieill., 

 of North America east of the Missouri, is six inches long, 

 the wing over three inches, and with no spurious primary ; 

 the color from the bill to the middle of the back, sides 

 of the head, neck, and fore part of the breast, olive green ; 

 the rest of the upper parts ashy blue. The under parts, 

 from the bill to the middle of the belly, with a ring around 

 the eye, sulphur-yellow ; the remaining under parts white. 

 This bird prefers the taller trees, whose branches it as- 

 cends by regular short hops, searching every leaf in its 

 way. Its notes are measured and plaintive. The nest is 

 attached to the extremity of small twigs, and is sometimes 

 five or six inches deep ; it is an exceedingly interesting 

 structure. The eggs are four to five, white, spotted with 

 reddish brown. 



LIOTRICHID^:, OR MOCKING-BIRD FAMILY. This Fam- 

 ily comprises birds with the bill slender, straight, or curved, 



