312 CRYING BIRDS— CLAMATORES. 



Columbia Eiver, as I found it, without passing tlirough California in the 

 spring and fall. It is scarcely probable that they prefer a route of travel 

 through the barren regions towards the Eocky Mountains, when they can 

 find abundance of food on the route through California, and a country quite 

 congenial to their habits. I have found them, however, all along tlie Upper 

 Missouri, and across the Eocky JMountains northward. 



Their haliits are well known to settlers from the Atlantic States. Their 

 name of king-bird is deri\-ed from their quarrelsome disj)osition during the 

 breeding season, when they drive every bird, even to the size of the eagle, 

 away from their nest. This is built on a low l)ranch, often in the garden or 

 orchard, constructed firmly of roots, grass, and a lining of soft materials, 

 horse-hair, etc. The eggs are three to five, yellowish-white, and with a few 

 large well-defined brown spots. Their notes consist of harsh guttural twitters 

 and chirps, not worthy to be called a song. Their food is almost wliolly of 

 insects, for which they watch from some prominent perch ; also of berries, 

 and they sometimes watch around hives for bees. They leave the Atlantic 

 States in October, to winter in Tropical America. (Nuttall.) 



T5nrannus verticalis, Say. 



THE AEKANSAS FLYCATCHER. 



Ti/rammi! vertlcaHs, S.\T, Long's Exped. II. 1S2.3, 60. — Nuttai-l, Man. II. 2tl ed. ISIO, 306. 

 Baird, P. R. Kcp. IX. Biicls, 173. — Heermann, X. vi. 37. — Cooper and Sdckley, 

 XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 168. — Lord, Pr. R. A. Inst. Woolwich, 1864, 113. British 

 C'olnmbia. — Musckapa ro//ca//s, Bokap.vrte, Am. Orn. I. 182.'), 18; pi. xi. — Audd- 

 BON, Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 422 ; pi. 359. Ib. Birds Anicr. I. 1840, 199 ; pi. 54. 



Sp. Char. The four exterior quills attenuated very gently at the end, the first most 

 so ; third and fourth quill longest, second and fifth successively a little shorter. Tail slight- 

 ly forked ; bill shorter than the head. Crown, sides of head above the eyes, nape, and 

 sides of neck, pale lead-color or ash-gray ; a concealed crest in the crown, verniilion in 

 the centre, and yellowish before and behind. Hind neck and back ashy-gray, strongly 

 tinged with light olivaccous-gi-een, the gray turning to brown on the rump ; upper tail 

 coverts nearly black, lower dusky ; chin and part of ear coverts dull white ; throat and 

 upper part of breast similar to he-ad, but lighter, and but slightly contrasted with the 

 chin ; rest of the lower parts, with the under wing coverts and axillars, yellow deepening 

 to gamboge on the belly, tinged with olivaceous on the breast. Wing brown, tlie coverts 

 with indistinct asbv margins; secondaries and tortials edged with whitish ; inner webs of 

 primaries whitish towards the base. Tail nearly black abo-\-e, and glossy, duller brownish 

 beneath ; without oliv.nceons edgings. Exterior feather, with the outer web and the shaft, 

 yellowish-white; inner edge of latter brown. Tips of remaining feathers paler. Bill and 

 feet dark brown. 



Female rather smaller and colors less bright. Length of male, 8.50 ; extent, 13.25 ; 

 wing, about 4.50. 



