BIRDS OF SOUTHERN VERACRUZ — WETMORE 285 



collected one and on April 4 saw another. On April 11 half a dozen 

 came to feed on the fruits of a palo mulato, and two that I shot were 

 extremely fat. On April 15 I noted two at Boca San Miguel. In 

 1940 Carriker recorded about a dozen, collecting two on March 25. 

 Near El Conejo on the coast he saw a pair flying overhead in February 

 and shot a female there on May 15. They may therefore winter in 

 that area. 



MUSCIVORA TYRANNUS MONACHUS (Hartlaub) 



Tyrannus (Milvuhis) monachus Hartlaub, Rev. Zool., vol. 7, 1844, p. 214 

 (Guatemala). 



In 1939 I saw several at Tlacotalpam on March 6, and the follow- 

 ing year in February Carriker found a fair number there mainly on 

 the marshes surrounding a shallow pond west of town. He collected 

 a female on February 8. At Tres Zapotes on April 11, 1939, I shot 

 two, male and female, from four or five that came with the more 

 abundant scissor-tailed flycatchers to feed on the fruit of the palo 

 mulato. These were the first that I had seen here, so that it was my 

 impression that they were moving into the region from elsewhere. 

 Whether this movement was from near or far it is not possible to say. 

 The two taken were near breeding. While specimens of Miiscivora 

 forficata secured with them were very fat, these two were in ordinary 

 body condition. The species is known as tijerilla. 



TYRANNUS MELANCHOLICUS CHLORONOTUS Berlepsch 



Tyrannus chloronotus Berlepsch, Ornis, vol. 14, 1907, p. 474 (Temas, Yucatan). 



The small series obtained came from Tres Zapotes on March 20 

 and April 3, 8, and 13, 1939, and April 6, 1940, with one from Tlaco- 

 talpam shot on February 15, 1940. These average lighter, less 

 yellowish across the breast band, and are very slightly paler yellow 

 than skins from Yucatan and farther southward, showing in this a 

 beginning of intergradation with couchii of more northern distribu- 

 tion. In size, however, and in darker dorsal color, these belong with 

 chloronotus. 



These kingbirds were common in open areas across the lowlands 

 to the base of the mountains. They range mainly in pastures and 

 old milpas and the borders of cultivated fields, occasionally flying 

 across to alight in the tops of taller trees projecting through the 

 monte. They rest on open perches as the tops of stakes, open 

 branches, or the tops of trees and bushes, and often are a little wild 

 and difficult to approach. The flight is direct and is performed with 

 rapidly fluttering wings. The call notes are high in pitch and rather 

 insignificant in volume. It appeared to me that they became some- 



