252 FLYCATCHERS 



3'. Larg-er. Southern Arizona magister, p. 252. 



2'. Outer tail feather without uniform dark stripe along- inner web. 

 3. Throat and chest dark ash gray. Eastern United States. 



crinitus, p. 252. 

 3'. Throat and chest pale ash gray, throat sometimes whitish. 



4. Outer tail feather with outer web whitish and inner web dusky 



at tip. Colorado to Pacific .... cinerasceiis. p. 253. 



4'. Outer tail feather without white edge or dusky tip. Southern 



Arizona iiuttiiigi, p. 253. 



452. Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). Crested Flycatcher. 

 Adults. — Throat and breast dark ash gray ; rest of under parts bright 



sulphur yellow ; upper parts olive ; wings with two whitish bars, primaries 

 edged with rufous and tertials with yellowish ; tail with middle feathers 

 dusky brown, other feathers with inner webs chiefly reddish brown ; outer 

 feather with broad dusky stripe confined to end, if present at all. Young : 

 tail with more of reddish brown than in adult. Length : 8.50-9.00, wing 

 3.90-4.40, tail 3.50-4.20, bill from nostril .55-.65, tarsus .78-82. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to 

 Manitoba, the Plains, and southwestern Texas ; migrates to Costa Rica, 

 Panama, and Colombia. 



Nest. — An old woodpecker hole or natural cavity in a tree or stump, 

 lining varying in bulk and composition but generally containing snake 

 skin. Eggs : 4 to 8, creamy to deep buff, overlaid with irregular blotches 

 and longitudinal pen lines in .shades of brown and purple. 



Food. — Insects, such as beetles, flies, grasshoppers, butterflies, and lar- 

 vae, varied with berries. 



453. Myiarchus mexicanus [Kaup). Mexican Crested Fly- 



catcher. 



Adults : Throat and breast light ash gray, rest of under parts pale sul- 

 phur yellow ; upper parts olive, browner on head ; wings with two white 

 bars ; primaries edged with reddish brown ; tail with middle feathers 

 dusky brown, outer tail feather with a wide dusky streak of uniform width 

 along inner side of shaft. Young : with more rufous on tail than in adult. 

 Length : 8.50-9.00, wing 3.80-4.20, tail 3.80-4.25, bill from nostril .02-.75, 

 tarsus .82-92. 



Distribution. — Lower Rio Grande Valley south to Guatemala and Sal- 

 vador. 



Nest. — In natural cavities or woodpecker holes in stumps, trees, and 

 telegraph poles, made of felted strips of bark, hair, feathers, wool, and 

 sometimes snake skin. Eggs : 4 to 6, like those of M. crinitus. 



453a. M. ni. magister Ridgw. Arizona Crested Flycatcher. 



Like M. mexicanus, but larger. Length : 9.40-10.00, wing 4.04-4.60. tail 

 4.10-4.60, bill from nostril .68-.82, tarsus .97-1.02. 



Distribution. — Breeds from southern Arizona (and southwestern New 

 Mexico ?) to western Mexico ; migrates to Tehuantepec, Mexico. 



Nest. — So far as known, in holes in giant cactus and sycamores, about 

 8 feet from the ground, lined with hair and bits of snake and lizard skin. 

 Eggs : 3 to 5, like those of M. crinitus. 



Major Bendire writes: "The Arizona crested flycatcher is the 

 largest representative of the genus Myiarchus found within our 

 borders, and its breeding range seems to be confined mainly to 



