PASSERES — MUSCICAPID.E — TYRANNUS. 1 19 



THE GREAT-CRESTED KING-BIRD. 



Tyrannus crinitus. 



plate xxxii. fig. 70. 



(CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 



Muscicapa crinita, Lin. Crested Flycatcher, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 386. 



M. id. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 75, pi. 13, fig. 2. Audubon, fulio, pi. 129; Om. Biog. Vol. 2. p. 176, and 

 Vol. 5, p. 423. Id. B. of Am. Vol. 1, p. 209, pi. 57 (males). Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 41. 



Characteristics. Greenish olive. Throat ash ; belly yellow. Wing and tail-feathers rusty 

 on their inner webs. Length, 8-9 inches. 



Description. Feathers of the head pointed. Third primary longest ; the first scarcely 

 exceeding the sixth : they are not attenuated towards their tips. Tail elongated, nearly even. 



Color. Above greenish olive. Wing-coverts crossed wilh two irregular bars of yellowish 

 white. The inner webs of all the tail-feathers, except the central pair, rusty red ; primaries 

 edged with the same. Crest with its feathers dark brown in their centres. Beneath, the 

 throat and breast bluish ash, becoming pale yellow on the abdomen and vent. Irides hazel. 

 Bill, legs and feet greyish black. Female, scarcely to be distinguished from the male. 



Length, 8-5. Alar extent, 12-5-13-0. 



This bird enters Louisiana in March, and appears to prefer the direction of the Mississippi 

 valley, but does not advance far north in that direction. The interior of Massachusetts, 

 where it has been observed to breed, appears to form its extreme northern limits towards the 

 Altantic. It is of course rare in our State. The eggs are cream-colored, thickly streaked 

 with purplish brown. Feeds upon insects, grapes, berries, etc. Bold and fierce in its habits. 



( E XTRA-L IMITAL. ) 



T. dominicensis. (Aud. B. of A. pi. 55.) Dull ash grey. Crest vermilion. Wings and tail chocolate. 



Beneath ash tinged with yellow. Length, 8-9 inches. Carolina, Florida. 

 T. verticalis. (Id. B. of A. Vol. 1, pi. 54.) Plumbeous tinged with olive green. Crest vermilion. 



Throat and breast ash grey ; beneath yellow : outer tail-feather white on the outer web. Mexico, 



Texas, Columbia river. 



Genus Milvulus, Swainson. Second primary longest ; third and first subequal : the three first 



abruptly notched towards the attenuated tip. Tail excessively elongated and deeply forked. 

 M. tyrannus. (Bonap. Am. Orn. Vol. 1, pi. 1. Aud. B. of A. Vol. 1, pi. 52.) Ashen; beneath 



white. Head black: a yellow spot on the crown. Tail more than twice the length of the body. 



Length, 14 inches. Louisiana, Kentucky. In New-Jersey. 

 M. forficalus. (Bonap. lb. pi. 2. Add. lb. pi. 53.) Light ash; beneath white. Head darker; 



axillary feathers rosaceous. Tail longer than the body ; outer feathers rosaceous. Length, 1 1 



inches. Arkansa. 



