TYRANNID^ — THE FLYCATCHERS. 381 



by him quite common in the Three Marias, islands off the Pacific coast 

 of Mexico, as well as on the main coast, and also in California. The 

 accustomed places of resort of this solitary little bird were, he states, the 

 most retired and secluded dells of the forest. He there met with it beneath 

 the canopy of the natural and shady grottos formed by the overlapping 

 branches, intermingled with innumerable creeping plants, sitting upon some 

 low twig watching for a passing fly. At other times it might be seen 

 frequenting some secluded and shady little brook, near the surface of 

 which it often darted upon the flies that skimmed over the surface of the 

 water, ever and anon uttering a low and plaintive one-syllabled note. 



Empidonax obscurus, Baird. 



WBIGHT'S FLYCATCHEE. 



7 Tyrannula ohscurrt, Svr.ws&os, Syn. Ilex. Birds, in Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 367. Empi- 

 donax obscurus, B.\IRD, Bird-s N. Am. 1858, 200, pi. xli.x, f. 3. — Ib. M. B. II, Birds 

 9, pi. xi, f. 3. — ScL. Catal. 1862, 230. — Cooper, Orn. C'al. I, 1870, 329. Empidimax 

 wrighli, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 200 (name proposed in case this should prove not 

 to be the T. ohscura of Swainson). 



Sp. Char. Bill very narrow. Tarsi long. Wing rounded. Second, third, and fourth 

 quills longest ; first shorter than sixth, sometimes than seventh and eighth. Tail rounded. 

 Above dull brownish-olive, paler on the rump, tinged with gray on the head. Loral 

 region and space round the eye whitish. Throat and forepart of the breast grayish- 

 white, slightly tinged with olive across the latter ; the rest of the under parts pale 

 yellowish. Wings and tail brown ; the former with two conspicuous bands of brownish- 

 white ; the outer primary edged, the secondaries and tertials edged and tipped with the 

 same. The outer web of the external tail-feather white, in strong contrast. Length, 

 5.7.5; wing, 2.7.5 ; tail, 2.55; tarsus, .70. Young. Wing-bands yellowish-gra}', or grayish- 

 buff (not ochraceous) ; upper parts with a brownish wash ; abdomen tinged with dull buff. 



Hab. Rocky Mountains and Middle Province of United States, and table-lands of 

 Mexico. Localities : La Parada, Mexico (Sol. Catal. 18C2, 230) ; Vera Cruz, winter, 

 perhap.-^ resident (Suii. M. B. S. I, 557) ; Fort Whipple, Arizona (Cooes, P. A. N. S. 

 1866, 63). 



The most decided character of this species is seen in the combination 

 of the narrow bill and the white outer margin of the external tail-feather, 

 together with the long tarsi. The bill measured across opposite the middle 

 of the nostrils is less than half its length from the forehead, instead of 

 being considerably more, as in nearly all the other North American spe- 

 cies, except hammondi. From this, however, the longer tail, edged exter- 

 nally with white ; the longer bill and tarsus, the more rounded wings, the 

 paler throat, etc., will distinguish it. Some specimens (spring and summer 

 individuals) are very pale, showing scarcely any yellow beneath ; the 

 upper parts more tinged with gray. Sometimes tliere is a decidedly hoary 

 frontlet. 



A young specimen (53,303, ? , Upper Humboldt Valley, Nev., September 



