212 



North American Birds Eggs. 



FLYCATCHERS. Family TYRANNID/E. 



Flycatchers, which are found only in America and chiefly in the tropics, are 

 insect-eating birds generally having a grayish colored plumage, sometimes 

 adorned with a slight crest or a coronal mark of orange, red, or yellow. Only 

 two of the species found in North America are gaudy in plumage, the Vermilion, 

 and the Derby Flycatchers. They all have the liabit of sitting erect on a dead 

 twig, and watching for passing insects, which they catch on the w'ing. 



[442.] Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Muscivora tyrannus. 



Range. — A Central and South American species accidentally having occurred 

 in the United States on several occasions. 



This is a handsome black, white and gray species of the size and form of the 

 next. 



443. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Muscivora torfirata. 



Range.— Mexico, north through Texas to southern Kansas; accidental in other 

 parts of the country. 



The Scissor-tail or "Texan Bird of Paradise" is the most 

 beautiful member of this interesting family. Including 

 ^^ its long, tail often 10 inches in length and forked for about 



g0 " 6 inches, this Flycatcher reaches a length of about 15 inches. 



f • ! It is pale grayish above, fading into whitish below, and has 



' • •-.*•' scarlet linings to the wings, and a scarlet crown patch. 



\ ■ • - .•-•.^"^'^^ They are one of the most abundant of breeding birds in 

 ^ -*'::-- - '' Texas, placing their large roughly built nests in all kinds 



[Creamy white.] of trees and at any elevation, but averaging between ten and 

 fifteen feet above ground. The nests are built of rootlets, 

 grasses, weeds and trash of all kinds, such as paper, rags, string, etc. The 

 interior is generally lined with plant fibres, hair or wool. They lay from three 

 to five, and rarely six eggs with a creamy white ground color, more or less 

 spotted and blotched with reddish brown, lilac and gray, the markings gener- 

 ally being most numerous about the larger end. They average in size about 

 Mx .67. Data.— Corpus Christi, Texas, May 18, 1899. " 6 eggs. Nest of moss, 

 vines, etc., on small trees in open woods near town. Collector, Frank B. Arm- 

 strong. 



444. Kingbird. Tyranuus tyramtu^. 



Range. — Temperate North America, breeding from the Gulf of Mexico north 

 to New Brunswick, Manitoba and British Columbia; rare off the Pacific coast. 



This common Tyrant Flycatcher is very abundant in the -^-^"^ - 



eastern parts of its range. They are one of the most pug- 

 nacious and courageous of birds attacking and driving 

 away any feathered creature to which they take a dislike, 

 regardless of size. Before and during the nesting season, 

 their sharp, nerve-racking clatter is kept up all day long, 

 and with redoubled vigor when anyone approaches their 

 nesting site. They nest in any kind of a tree, in fields or 

 open woods, and at any height from the ground, being 

 found on fence rails within two feet of the ground or in the tops of pines 70 or 

 80 feet above the earth. Nearly everv orchard will be found to contain one or 



fCream color.] 



