TYRANNID^ — THE FLYOATCHERS. 



337 



ures .90 liy .75 of an inch. These well represent tlie two extremes. Their 

 average is about 1 inch by .75 of an inch. 



The eggs of all the members of this genus have a remarkable similarity, 

 and can scarcely be mistaken fur those of any other group. 



Myiarchus crinitus, vnr. cinerascens, L.vwr. 



ASH-THKOATED FLYCATCHER. 



Tyrannula cinerascens, Lavvuenck, Ann. N. Y. Lye. N. Hist. V, Sept. 1851, 109. My- 

 iarchus cinerascens, ScL. List, 1862, 133. — Ib. P. Z. S. 1871, 84. — CouES, Pr. A. 

 N. S. July, 1872, 69. Myiarchus mcxicanus, Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, 179, pi. 5. 

 — Heeum. X, ,S', 37, pi. V. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 316. Myiarchus mcxicanus, 

 var. pertinaj:, Baiud, P. A. N. S. 1859, 303 (Cape St. Lucas). 



Sp. Char. Bill black, the width opjiosite the no.strils not half the length of culmen. 

 Head crested. Tail even, the lateral feathers slightly shorter. Second, third, and fourth 

 quills longest; first rather shorter than the seventh. Above dull grayish-olive; the 

 centres of the feathers rather darker ; the crown, rump, and upper tail-coverts tinged 

 with brownish. The forehead and sides of the head and neck grayish-ash ; the chin, 

 throat, and forepart of the breast ashy-white ; the middle of the breast white ; the rest 

 of the under parts very pale sulphur-3'ellow ; wings and tail brown. Two bands across 

 the wing, with outer edges of secondaries and tertials, dull white ; the outer edges of the 

 primaries light chestnut-brown (except towards the tip and on the outer feather) ; the 

 inner edges tinged with the same. Whole of middle tail-feathers, witli the outer webs 

 (only) and the ends of the others brown ; the rest of the inner webs reddish-chestnut, 

 the outer web of e.xterior feather yellowi.sh-white. Legs and bill black ; lower mandible 

 brownish at the base. Length about 8.00; wing, 4.00; tail, 4.10; tarsus, .90. 



Hab. Coast of California, to Cape St. Lucas, and across by the valley of Gila and Rio 

 Grande to Northeastern Mexico. Seen as far north in Texas as San Antonio. Oaxaca 

 (ScL. 1859, 384) ; ? Guatemala (ScL. Ibis, I, 129) ; Vera Cruz hot regions, resident (Sum. 

 M. Bost. Soc. I) ; San Antonio, Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 473). 



In a young specimen the crown is more tinged with brown ; the upper 

 tail-coverts and the middle tail-feathers are chestnut, and, in fact, all the 

 tail-feathers are of this color, except along both sides of the shaft on the 

 central feathers, and along its outer side in the lateral ones. 



This species is easily distinguished from T. crinitus and T. coojjcri by 

 the brown tip of the tail ; the colors jjaler than in the former, bill slenderer, 

 and tarsi longer. 



A variety of this species (pertinax'^) is found at Cape St. Lucas, and dis- 

 tinguislied chietiy by the considerably larger ami stouter liill. 



Habits. The Ash-throated or Mexican Flycatcher appears to be a com- 

 mon species, from San Antonio, Texas, its extreme northeastern point, south- 

 westerly throughout Mexico as far soutli as Guatemala, and westward to 

 the Pacific coast. It has been ol)tained in various parts of California 

 by Mr. Cutts, iVIr. Schott, Dr. Heermann, and others, as also on the Gila 



' Myiarchus inexican IIS, v:ir. pert ina.i; BAiiiri, Pr. Phil. Acad. 1859, 303. 

 vol,. II. 43 





