320 CRYING BIRDS — CLAMATORES. 



men, and lower tail coverts white ; some of the latter with the shafts and the centres 

 brown. The lower wing coverts grayish-brown, edged with white. "Wings dark brown ; 

 the edges of the secondary coverts rather lighter ; of primary coverts dull white. Edn-e 

 of the exterior vane of the first primary, and of the secondaries, white. Tail dark brown, 

 with the greater part of the outer vane of the e.xterior tail feather white ; this color nar- 

 rowing from the base to the tip. Bill and feet black. The tail rounded ; rather emar- 

 ginate ; feathers broad ; more obliquely truncate than in S. sai/us. The bill slender ; 

 similar to that of S.fuscus. Length, nearly 7.00; wing, 3. GO ; tail, 3.45. 

 Hab. California to Texas, and south into Mexico. 



An abtuidaiit and resident species in all the lower parts of California, 

 except the Colorado Valley, where I saw none later than March 25, 18G1, 

 as they had gone north. At San Diego they had nests and eggs at that date 

 (1862), and are elsewhere among the earliest birds to build. The nest is 

 formed of an outer wall of mud, about 5.25 inches wide, and 3.50 high, in 

 little pellets piled on successively as they dry, in the shape of half a cup, 

 stuck against a wall or sometimes on a shelf, beam, or ledge of rock, but 

 always under some protecting roof, often under a bridge. It is lined ^\■ith 

 fine grass or moss, and horse or cow hair, and the eggs, four or five in num- 

 ber, are pure white ; measuring 0.74 X 0.55 inch. They prefer the vicinity 

 of human haljitations, and also to keep around water, on account of the 

 numerous flies they find in such situations. 



They often sit for hours on the end of a barn or other perch, uttering 

 their monotonous but not unpleasing ditty, which sounds like " Pittic, pit- 

 tit," alternately repeated, much like the cry of the Eastern " Pewee " or 

 "Phoebe-bird" (jS'. /mscms), which is their exact analogue in habits. They 

 fly only short distances at a time, turning and dodging quickly in pursuit of 

 their prey, ■which they capture with a sharp snap of the biU. 



Sayornis Sayus, Bonaparte. 

 SAY'S FLYCATCHEK. 



Muscicaim Sai/n, Bon-apaete, Am. Orn. I. 182r), 20 ; ]il. xi. f. 3. — Audubon, Orn. Biog. 

 IV. 1838, 428 ; pi. 359. Ib. Birds Amcr. I. 1840, 217 ; pi. .')9. — Tymnmis Saija, NuT- 

 TALL, Man. I. 2d ed. 1840, 311. — Maxim. Cab. Jonr. 18.58, 183. — Ti/ranHH/n -Sn^a, 

 BoxAPARTE, Conspectus, 1850. — Newberry, P. K. Rep. VI. iv. 81. — Saijornis Stiijus, 

 Baird, r. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 185. — ICennerly, X. iv. 24. — Heermann, X. vi. 37. — 

 CouES, Pr. Pliil. Ac. 1866, 60. 



Sp. Ciiak. Al>ove and on the sides of the head, neck, anil breast, grayish-brown, 

 darker on the crown ; region about the eye dusky. The chin, throat, and upper part of 

 the breast, similar to the Ijack, but rather lighter and tinged with the color of the rest of 

 the lower parts, which are pale cinnamon. Under wing coverts pale rusty white. The 

 wmgs of a rather deeper tiut than the back, with the exterior vanes and the tips of the 



