372 THE WESTERN KINGBIRD. 



by, had it not been for the constant soHcitude of a pair of Kingbirds. Investiga- 

 tion showed that the ancient pocl<et liad been crammed fnll of grass and twigs, 

 and that it contained two fresh eggs of the Flycatcher. Ordinarily the nest is 

 placed in an upright or horizontal fork of a tree at a height of from three to 

 forty feet. Twigs, weed-stalks, and trash of any kind enter into the basal con- 

 struction. The characteristic feature of the nest, however, is the mould, or 

 matrix, composed of vegetable plaster, ground wood, and the like, or else of 

 compacted wool and cow-hair, which is forced into the interstices of the outer 

 structure and rounded inside, gi\'ing shape to the whole. This cup, in turn, is 

 lined with fine grasses, cow-hair, or variously. Occasionally, nests are found 

 composed almost entirely of wool. In others string is the principal ingredient. 



Altho the Kingbird never sings, it has a characteristic and not unmusical 

 cry, //,:.('(', fi::ic (spell it phfliisic. if you favor the old school) or fscc fscc fsce 

 tsce. in numerous combinations of syllables, which are capable of expressing 

 various degrees of excitement and emotion. 



In eastern Washington this Kingbird is common and well distril)uted, tho 

 far less abundant than the larger, grayer "\\'estern." West of the Cascades it 

 is rare but regular, being found chiefly along the wooded margins of lakes. 



No. 143. 



WESTERN KINGBIRD. 



A. O. U. No. 447. Tyrannus verticalis Say. 



Synonyms. — .'Krk.ansas Kixgbikd. Ark.\xs.\s Fi,YC.\Tcni;R. 



Description. — Adult Male: Foreparts, well down on breast, and upper back 

 ashv grav, lightening, nearly white, on chin and upper throat, darker on lores and 

 behind eye; a partially concealed crown-patch of orange-red (Chinese orange); 

 lateral boundaries of this patch olivaceous ; back, scapulars, and rump ashy 

 glossed with olive-green ; this color shading to black on upper tail-coverts ; wings 

 fuscous ; tail black, the outer web of outermost rectrix white, or faintly tinged 

 with yellow ; underparts below breast rich canary yellow, paler on wing-linings 

 and lower tail-coverts; bill and feet black; iris brown. Adult Female: like male 

 but crown-patch usually somewhat restricted, and primaries much less attenuated. 

 Young birds are duller and browner without crown-patch, and with little or no 

 olivaceous on back; the yellow of underparts is paler (sulphury or even whitish), 

 and the primaries are scarcely or not at all attenuated. Length of adult males 

 about 9.00 (228.6); wing 5.12 (130); tail 3.68 (93.5) I bill .jt, (18.7); tarsus 

 .74 (18.8). Females average less. 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink to Robin size; noisy, petulant ways; ashy 

 foreparts and vcllow belly distinctive. 



Nesting. — Nest: of twigs, grasses, string, wool, and other soft substances, 

 placed at moderate heights in bushes or trees, or more commonly on beams and 



