216 



North American Birds Eggs. 



45 1. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. Mijiodijiiastcs lutcirctitris. 



Rant^e.— Mexicu and Central America, breeding north to the Mexican border 

 of Arizona. 



This peculiar Flycatcher, which is unlike anj- other 

 American species, can only be regarded as a rare breeding 

 bird in the Huachuca Mts. It is 8 inches in length, has 

 a grayish back streaked with black, the tail largely rusty 

 brown and the underparts sulphur yellow, streaked on the 

 breast and sides with dusky; a yellow crown patch is bor- 

 dered on either side by a stripe of mottled dusky, and is 

 separated from the blackish patch through the eye, by white 

 superciliary lines. Their habits are similar to those of the 

 genus Myiarchus, and, like them, they nest in cavities in trees, and lay from 

 three to five eggs of a creamy buff color thickly spotted and blotched with brown 

 and purplish, the markings not assuming the scratchy appearance of the Crested 

 Flycatchers, but looking more like those of a Cardinal; size of egg 1.05 x .75. 

 j)ata. — Huachuca Mts., Arizona, June '29, 1901. 4 eggs. Nest in the natural 

 cavity of a live sycamore tree about tiftv feet from the ground; composed of twigs. 

 Collector, O. W. Howard. 



[Creamy buff. 



452. Crested Flycatcher. Myiairhus criiiitus. 



Range.— North America, east of the Plains, and from New Brunswick and 

 Manitoba southward; winters from the Gulf States southward. 



This trim and graceful, but quarrelsome, species is gray- 

 ish on the head, neck, and breast, shading to greenish on 

 the back and quite abruptly into bright yellow on the under- 

 parts; the head is slightly crested and the inner webs of all 

 the lateral tail feathers are reddish brown. They are abun- 

 dant in most of their range but are generally shy so they 

 are not as often seen as many other more rare birds. They 

 nest in cavities of any kind of trees and at any elevation 

 from the ground, the nest being made of twigs, weeds and 

 trash, and generally having incorporated into its make-up a piece of cast off 

 snake skin. They lay from four to six eggs of a buffy color, blotched and lined 

 with dark brown and lavender. Size .85 x .65. 



453. Mexican Crested Flycatcher. Myiairhus mcxicanus. 

 Range. — Mexico, north to southern Texas. 



This species is similar to the last but is considerably 

 paler. They are common in some localities, nesting in 

 holes in trees or stumps, often those deserted by Wood- 

 peckers. Their eggs are like those of the last but average 

 paler. Data.— Corpus Christi, Texas, May 10, 1899. Nest 

 in hole in telegraph pole; made of red cow hair, feathers 

 and leaves. 4 eggs. Collector, Frank B. Armstrong. 



453a. Arizona Crested Flycatcher. Myiarchus mcxicanus nuigister. 



Range.— Southern Arizona and New Mexico, south through Mexico. 



This bird is very similar to, but averages slightly larger than the Mexican 

 Flycatcher. Its nesting habits are the same and the eggs cannot be distinguished 

 from those of the latter', the nest being most frequently found in giant cacti. 



