1886.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 619 



only ouce before seen one of the kind, and this one I saw in the same 

 locality twice before I had the opportunity to secure him, which I suc- 

 ceeded in doing by borrowing a gun which had a charge of shot big 

 enough to kill a goat. The bird may prove to be Tyrannus melan- 

 cholicus. 



26. Milvulus tyraniius (Liun.). " Fork-tall Flycatcher." 



5 Length, 14^ inches; expanse, 13 inches; wing, 4^ inches ; tail, 9^ 

 inches. 



9 Length, 9 inches ; expanse, 13| inches ; wing, 4^ inches ; tail, 2J 

 inches. 



This bird is a migrant, and arrives with us about the end of August, 

 and wings its way to Central America and thereabouts about the mid- 

 dle of February. It frequents the open pastures near the sea-shore, 

 and preys on the winged insects which swarm about the swamps and 

 rain-pools. It may often be seen perched on a dry shrub or twig, from 

 which it darts among the flocks of plovers or sandpipers which may 

 happen to pass within its sight, causing them to utter loud notes oit 

 pain from the attacks of its strong and sharp bill. When darting on 

 its prey or inflicting punishment on some unoffending bird, the long 

 tail feathers are opened and shut like a pair of shears. Like most of 

 the Flycatcher family there is on the head of this bird a beautiful crest 

 of bright crimson and yellow feathers, which is concealed, except wheui 

 the bird is excited or in chase of its prey. This bird does not nest on 

 the island. 



[This has not been recorded before from the Lesser Antilles, which is 

 surprising, as it is so conspicuous a bird and seems not to be rare iu 

 Grenada.— G. K L.] 



Family TEOCHILID^. 



27. Glaucis hirsutus (Gm.). Brown Humming Bird; Doctor Bird. 



9 Length, 5J inches ; expanse, 6J inches ; wing, 2f inches. 

 Numerous in the mountains and in the cocoa fields ; feeds chiefly on 

 insects, which it takes on the wing as well as firom blossoms. IsTest 

 usually found hanging to a strip from the under side of a ballisier leaf. 

 It is loosely formed of fine crisp tendrils, twined round the strip of leaf, 

 forming a cup at top, with a long pendant of pieces of bark, &c. Tht> 

 eggs are two, pure white, and measure .60 by .34 inch. 



28. Eulampis holosericeus (Linu.). Green Humming Bird. 



$ Length, 4J inches; expanse, 5f inches ; wing, 2f inches. 



9 Length, 4f inches ; expanse, 6J inches ; wing, 2f inches. 



Not abundant; rather shy. Frequents the vicinity of dwellings, fruit 

 trees, &c. Nest usually saddled on a large limb, beautifully formed of 

 fine substances, coated with moss and spiders' webs. Eggs two, white. 



