FLYCATCHERS 247 



thill, and the black of the wings contrasts well with the bright sal- 

 mon sides. He sits quietly like any everyday bird, giving only an 

 occasional bee-bird like note, till suddenly up he darts into the air, 

 and with delighted wonder you watch his odd ligure and odder 

 gyrations in the sky. 



One of his favorite performances is to tly up and, with rattling 

 wings, execute an aerial seesaw, a line of sharp-angled VVVVVVV's, 

 lu'lping himself at the short turns by rapitUy opening and shutting 

 his long white scissors. As he goes up and down he utters all the 

 while a penetrating scream, ka-qiiee -ka-quee -ka-quee'-ka-quee' -ka- 

 qxee . the emphasis being given each time at the top of the ascending 

 line. 



Frequently when he is passing along with the even flight of a 

 sober-minded crow and you are quietly admiring the salmon lining 

 of his wings, he shoots rattling into the air, and as you stare 

 after him, drops back as suddenly as he rose. He does this appar- 

 ently because the spirit moves him, as a boy slings a stone at the 

 sky, but fervor is added by the appeaVance of a rival or an enemy, 

 for he is much like a Tyrannus in his masterful way of controlling 

 his landscape. He will attack caracaras and white-necked ravens, 

 lighting on their backs and giving them vicious blows while scream- 

 ing in their ears. 



GENUS TYKANNUS. 



General Characters. — Adults with a bright-colored concealed crown 

 patch ; feet small and -weak ; tai-.sus not long-er than middle toe with 

 claw ; bill notelu'd and booked, broad at base, its width at nostrils much 

 more than lialf the distance from nostril to tip; adults with outer ([uills 

 abruptly narrowed at ti|>. 



KEY TO ADULTS. 



1. Under parts white tyrannus. p. 247. 



r. Under parts yellow. 

 2. Tail even. 



o. Primaries with gradually narrowed tips . . verticalis. p. 24S. 



8'. Primaries with al»ruptly narrowed tips . . vociferans, p. •J4'.>. 



2'.Tail dftidi'dly emargiuate couchii. p. 24S. 



444. Tyrannus tyrannus {Linn). KiNcr-uci). 



Ailitlts. — Under parts and Ixnul on i nd of tail pure white ; head and tail 

 black; rest of uj)per ])arts slate <;Tay ; middle of crown with a concealed 

 )»atch of oranj^e red. Yunnii : crown patch wantini;- and coloi-s dulh-r, wiiii;- 

 and tail coverts edf^ed with brownish, tail band and chest tinned witli 

 l)rownish. Lin</th : N-H. wing I. I.")-4.T*>, t.iil ;'.. K>-:;.7'), bill from nostril 

 ..")()-.:)T. 



Dislrihiifion. — IJrecds in Ti-.insilion and .Soiior.m zones of temper:>te 

 Nortli .\m<'ric:i from the Ilritish Provinces chiefly cast of the Pocky 

 Mountains to tlie southern Ixtnh'r of the Unitc<l .States. Not re<'ordcd 

 from New Mexico or Arizona. Migrates to middle :ind South America. 



