SWALLOW-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 275 



the crown are somewhat slender, elevated, of a yellow-orange, form- 

 ing a brilliant spot, only visible, however, when the crested cap is 

 elevated ; the remaining part of the neck and back are greyish-ash ; 

 the rump is darker, and gradually passes into the blaxik of the supe- 

 rior tail-coverts. Beneath white. Wings dusky ; the 1st primary 

 edged with whitish on the outer web, and equal in length to the 

 4th J the 2d longest ; the 3 outer have a deep sinus on their inner 

 webs near the tip, so as to terminate in a slender process. The tail 

 is black and very deeply and widely forked ; the 2 exterior feathers 

 10 inches, the 2 next succeeding only 5, and the other feathers be- 

 come gradually and proportionally shorter, until those in the middle 

 are scarcely 2 inches in length ; the long exterior tail-feather is 

 white on the remarkably narrow outer web, and on the shaft beneath 

 for nearly | of its length. 



SWALLOW-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 



(Muscicapaforficata, Gm. Bonap. Am. Orn. i. p. 15. pi. 2. fig. 1. 

 Philad. Museum, No. G623.) 



Sp. Charact. — Light cinereous ; beneath white; axillary feathers 

 scarlet ; tail greatly elongated, deeply forked, black, the outer 

 feathers chiefly rosaceous. 



This very beautiful and singular species of Fly-catcher 

 is confined wholly to the open plains and scanty forests 

 of the remote southwestern regions beyond the Missis- 

 sippi, where they, in all probability, extend their resi- 

 dence to the high plains of Mexico. I found these birds 

 rather common near the banks of Red River, about the 

 confluence of the Kiamesha. I again saw them more 

 abundant, near the Great Salt River of the Arkansa in 

 the month of August, when the young and old appeared, 

 like our King-birds, assembling together previously to their 

 departure for the south. They alighted repeatedly on 

 the tall plants of the prairie, and were probably preying 

 upon the grasshoppers, which were now abundant. At 



