78 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



extent on the exterior of the tail, the rest of whicli is black. Very diminu- 

 tive in size (but little over four inehes long). 



Synopsis of Species. 



Tup uf head jjlaihhtuus. 

 Two outer tail-feathers entirely white. A narrow frontal line, exteudiug back 



over the eye, black. Hah. Xorth America ...... P. cmrulea. 



Outer tail-feather, with the whole of the outer web (only), white. No black on 

 tlie forehead, but a stripe over the eye above one of whitish. Hob. Arizona. 



P. 2'hnnhea. 

 Top of head black. 



Edge only of outer web of outer tail-feather white. Entire top of head from the 



bill black. TIab. Rio Grande and Gila P. melanura. 



Species occur over the whole of America. One, P. Icmhcyi, is peculiar to 

 Culia, and a close ally of P. carulea. 



Polioptila cserulea, Scl.vt. 



BLTJE-GKAY GNATCATCHER ; EASTERN GNATCATCHER. 



Motacilla cccruUa, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 337 (basediOn Mol/icillaparva cmruleo^%r>'W. 



tab. 302). Culkivora cccndca, Cab. Jour. 1855, 471 (Cuba). — Gundlach, Repert. 



1865, 231. Polioptila cwrulea, Sci.ATEK, P. Z. S. 1855, 11. — Baikd, Birds N. Am. 



1858, 380. —Ib. Rev. 74. — Duesser, Ibis, 1865, 231. — Cooper, Birds Cal. I, 35. 



Motacilla cana, G.M. S. N. I, 1788, 973. 1 Cidicivorn mcxicuna, Bon. Consp. 1850, 316 



(not of Cassin), female. Polioptila meximna, ScLATER, P. Z. S. 1859, 363, 373. 

 Figures : Vieill. Ois. II, pi. l.vx.wiii. — Wilson, Am. Orn. II, pi. xviii, tig. 3. — AuD. 



Orn. Biog. I, pi. Lxxxiv ; Ib. Birds Am. I, pi. bi.\. 



Sp. Char. Above grayish-blue, gradually becoming bright blue on the erown. A 

 narrow frontal band of black extending backwards over the ej'e. Under parts and lores 

 bluish-white tinged with lead-color on the sides. First and second tail-feathers white 

 except at the extreme base, which is black, the color extending obliquely forward on 

 the inner web ; third and fourth black, with white tip, very slight on the latter; fifth and 

 sixth entirely black. Upper tail-coverts blackish-plumbeous. Quills edged externally 

 with pale blui.«h-gray, which is much broader and nearly white on the tertials. Female 

 without any black on the head. Length, 4.30 ; wing, 2.15; tail, 2.25. (Skin.) 



ILvB. Middle region of United States, from Atlantic to Pacific, and south to Guatemala ; 

 Cape St. Lucas. Cuba, Gundlach and Brv.a.nt. Bahamas, Bryant. 



Habits. The Blue-gray Flycatcher is a common species from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific coast, although not met with in the New England States. It 

 is less abundant on the coast than at a distance from it, and lias a more 

 northern range in tlie interior, being met with in Northern Ohio, Michigan, 

 and the British Provinces. Specimens occur in the Smithsonian Institution 

 collection from New York to Me.\ico and Gtiatemala, and from Washington 

 Territory to California. 



They appear in Pennsyh'ania early in ]\Iay, and remain there until the 

 last of September. They are observed in Florida and Georgia early in 



