TYRANNUS VERTICALIS, ARKANSAS FLYCATCHER. 237 



British Colimibia. AcciiTeutal at Moorestown, New Jersey (Mus. AcacT. Phila • 

 TuKNB., B. E. Pa. 41), and at Plymptou, Maiue (as above). ' ' 



The very extensive series taken by Lieutenant Warren's Expedition, 

 demonstrates the abundance of the species in the Upper Missouri and 

 Platte reg:ions. Speaking of its occurrence with the Kingbird, Dr. Hay- 

 den says that the two are often found together, but notices that this 

 species " does not make its appearance, however, till we reacii a point 

 about one hundred miles below Fort Pierre, and thence to the mount- 

 ains. The T. carolhtensis diminishes in numbers, while the T. verticalis 

 becomes exceedingly abundant, occurring in vast numbers along the 

 wooded portions of streams." We may accept this as indicating, in 

 general, the respective bearing of the species upon the regions in ques- 

 - tion, but T. verticaUs is certainly found much further east than Dr. 

 Hayden supposed, as will be observed by the above citations. I never 

 saw it, to my knowledge, in x^rizona, but Dr. Cooper observed it at Fort 

 Mojave, on the Colorado. He describes a nest, taken at Santa Barbara, 

 in the following terms: "This nest was built on a branch of low oak, 

 .near the town, was live inches wide, and constructed of lichens, twigs, 

 coarse grass, and wool, lined with hair; the four eggs it contained were 

 creamy-white, spotted with purple of two shades near the large end, 

 measuring 0.94 by 0.70." The habits and manners of the species are, in 

 all essentials, the same as those of Kingbird, familiar to all. 



Mr. Allen has favored me with an interesting communication pre- 

 pared for the present report: "The Arkansas Flycatcher occurs 

 abundantly as far east as Fort Hays, Kansas, where it is one of the 

 most numerous and characteristic of the woodland birds. It seems 

 even more pugnacious than its relative, the Kingbird, the males light- 

 ing with each other almost constantly ; and it is equally alert in driving 

 other birds from the vicinity of its nest. Its notes are harsher and 

 louder than those of the Kingbird, though at times rather more musical ; 

 they are marked by the same general character. It is more graceful on 

 the wing than the latter bird, possessing rather superior powers of 

 flight, yet resembling it closely in general habits. It constructs a rather 

 bulky and conspicuous nest, composed outwardly of the coarse stems of 

 plants, softly lined with liner material, generally hair; it is placed on 

 the outer and higher branches of quite large trees. The eggs, com- 

 monly five in number, in size, shai)e, and color so closely resemble those 

 of the Kingbird as not to be always distinguishable. Dozens of pairs 

 were breeding in the narrow belt of timber bordering Big Creek, on the 

 ]\Iilitiiry Keservation at Fort Hays, We also found them nesting in 

 isolated trees at the heads of ravines, sometimes several miles from any 

 other tree or shrub. 



"The s])e<.-ies is i)robably a common inhabitant of the plains, along 

 all the tiiiiliered i)ortions of the streams, Irom ^liddle Jvansas westward 

 to the Kocky Mountiiins. Along the South Platte and its tributaries, 

 near Denver, it is one of the most conspicuous species, but it ranges 

 only a little w;iy into the foot-hills. None were met with in South I'ark, 

 nor at any point in ("olonido, above 7,000 feet. During the latter i>art 

 of August they were abundant on Crow Creek, in the vicinity of Chey- 

 enne, although the arboreal vegetation was limited to a few dwarfed 

 cluiiq)s of willows. It was here partially gn-garions, loose Hocks of 

 several dozens being sometimes met with, compo^^e(l almost wholly of 

 joung birds. These roving parties had doubtless wandered here from 



