160 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



tail, and rosy or white edgings and scarlet patches on the sides 

 of the body. This graceful bird can be recognized for a great 

 distance by its forked tail, and espe- 

 cially so, as it has the habit of open- 

 ^^^^^ ing and closing the parts like a pair of 



t^^^BW scissors. 



Ny^Mg^ Length, 12-ir>; \ving,4J (43-51); tail, 7-12; 



\ ^^^^ tarsus, * ; culmeii, |. Southwestern Mis- 



souri, through Texas, eastern Mexico to Cen- 

 tral America. Accidental in Xew Knglaml, 

 New Jersej', Florida, etc. The Fork-tailed 

 Flycatcher (442. Milvulus tf/rannus) is a 

 iKiuUiful, tropical American bird, which has 

 accidentally wandered to various parts of the 

 United States (New Jersey, Kentucky, Mis- 

 si.ssipi)i, etc.). It is a black-ca])ped, a.shy- 

 backed, black-tailed bird, with the lower parts 

 white, and the outer webs of the outer tail 

 feathers white for half their length. The tail 

 is forked from 4-8 inches. 



ScissoT-tailed Flycatcher 



2. Kingbird (444. Tjirannus tyran- 

 nus). — -V jialo. slate-colored kingbird, 



with nearly white under parts, 

 and black tail tipped with a 

 broad band of white. The 

 under parts have a wash of 

 gray on the breast. The cifluU 

 has a concealed orange -red 

 patch on the crown ; this is 

 lacking in the yoiniy. This 

 bird has the habit of percliing 

 in an exposed position, with 

 the body upright, like a hawk, 

 watching for its insect prey. 

 If food is seen, it suddenly 

 darts into the air, seizes it, and 

 returns to the same perch. 

 (Bee Martin.) 



Kingbird 



