TYEAi^NID^ — THE TYRANT FLYCATCHERS — SAYORNIS. 321 



quills darker. Edges of the greater and secondary coverts, of the outer vane of the outer 

 primary, and of the secondaries and tertials, dull white. The upper tail coverts and tail 

 nearly black. Edge of outer vane of exterior tail feather white. Bill dark brown ; rather 



paler beneath. The feet brown. Second, third, and fourth quills nearly equal ; fifth 

 nearly equal to sixth ; sixth much shorter than the first. Tail broad, enuirginate. T;u>i 

 with a posterior row of scales. Length, 7.00 ; wing, 4.30 ; tail, 3.33. 



Hab. Missouii and central high plains westward to the Pacific, and south to Mexico. 



This seems to be mostly a winter visitor in the southern and western 

 parts of California, where I ha\'e seen none after March. Tliey migrate in 

 summer throughout the great interior plains, and, according to Eichardson, 

 as far north as lat. G0° in the Hudson's Bay region, where they seem to 

 take the place of the other two species. Their nest was found there in a 

 tree, resembling that of the S. nigricans. They probably, howe\-er, l.)uild 

 more frequently among the cliffs, which are the only suitable situati(jns in 

 the barren, treeless regions they inhabit. Their habits are similar to those 

 of the other species, and the few notes they utter while with us are also 

 similar. 



41 



