ri;Rciii\(;-;iiiti)s. 113 



Tlic name " Tyrant " is specially applicable to the larger birds of this 

 group, on account of their pugnacious disposition, and they frequently 

 attack other birds, often of superior size and strength. They are 

 mostly clad in dull colours, but a few arc ornamented with erectile 

 crests, as in Musc'ivora (1 758), or brilliantly coloured, as iu Pyrocephalus 

 (1761). 



Four subfamilies have been recognised, the first being the Ttcnio- 

 jjteriiKC, which iucludes a nuni])cr of dull-coloured grey and black 

 species, the most noteworthy form, on account of its abnormal tail, 

 being Alectrurus tricolor (1732). from the Pampas district of South 

 America, and the Yipcru ( Ci/beruetes ijetupa) (1733), one of the largest 

 forms, with a very long and deeply forked tail. 



The second subfamily, Plufyrhi/iichinie, embraces a number of small 

 Flycatcher-like birds with flattened bills and dull olive-coloured plumage. 

 Among the examples shown we maj' draw attention to the crested form 

 Colopterus fjaleatus (1736), in which the outer fliglit-feathers of the 

 male are curiously abbreviated, and to Euscartlnaiis gidaris (1774), to 

 l)c found, with its dome-shaped nest with the entrance at the side, ou 

 the floor of the Case. 



The Elahiciiue, or Olive Tyrants, form a third subfamily, with the 

 bill more compressed and the bristles at the base much less developed. 

 The general colour of the species is olive-green or sombre brown, in 

 harmony with the dense forests to which they mostly resort, and the 

 majority have an orange or red vertical spot ou the top of the head. 

 The bright-tinted reed-frequenting Cijanotis azane (1743) is an exception 

 both in colours and habits. Elahica rid/ei/inia (1776) and its near allies 

 build a small cup-shaped nest of moss and licheu ; while Mijiozetetes 

 similis (1778) makes a domed loosely-constructed nest of fibre with an 

 entrance at tlie side. These will be found on the floor of the Case. 

 The largest species is Mijlodynastes bairdi (1751), a bird about the size 

 of a thrush. 



Of the fourth subfamily, Ti/rannime (which includes all the largest 

 members of the family, with flattened bills aud well-developed bristles), 

 the most remarkable are the long fork-tailed species Milvidus lijraimus 

 (1772) and M. forficatus (1773) ; the King-Tyrant [Muscivora reyia) 

 (1758), with its tiara-like crest of orange feathers tipped with shining 

 purple; and the searlet-plumaged Pyrocephcdus rubiaeus {\1%\), repre- 

 senting the only brilliantly coloured gemis of the Tyrannidce. 



Family V. Phytotomid*. Plant-cutteks. 



The few finch-like species of the geuus Plnjtittonni (1780-1) in- 011.^^70 

 eluded iu this family are all natives of South America. Thev are 



J 



