TYRA NNIDjE — TYRA NNIN.E : TYRA N T FL YCA TCHERS. 



519 



this soon disappears. Large: length 8.00-9.00; extent about 1.3.00; wing and tail about 

 4.00(3.80-4.20); bill 0.75-0.80 ; tarsus 0.70-0.80 ; middle toe and claw 0.65-0.75 ; breadth 

 of bill at base 0.33-0.40, or about ^ the length of culmen. Eastern U. S. and adjoining 

 portions of Canada, west to Manitoba, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkan- 

 sas, and about half of Texas; S. to Mexico, Central Am., and U. S. of Colombia in winter. 

 Migratory, chiefly iu April-May, and Aug.-Sept. ; breeds throughout its N. Am. range; win- 

 ters chiefly extralimital, but a few remain on our extreme 

 southern border. An abundant bird, locally and irregu- 

 larly distributed in woodland, of loud harsh voice and 

 <luarrelsome disposition, noted for its habitual use of cast- 

 off snake-skins in the structure of its nest. Nest iu hol- 

 lows of trees and simihir retreats, which are filled with 

 trash of the most miscellaneous description, sometimes 

 accumulated in astonishing bulk ; eggs unique (outside 

 this genus) in pattern : ground color buff or rich creamy, 

 heavily overlaid with numberless markings of purplish- 

 chestnut, or purplish-chocolate, and others paler, sharp 

 and scratchy, mostly lengthwise, but especially at the butt 

 tangled up ; size about 0.87 X 0.67 on an average, rang- 

 ing from 0.80 X 0.60 to 0.95 X 0.70; number 4-8, usu- 

 ally 5 or 6 ; laid in May and Juue. 



M. mexiea'iius. (Lat. Mexican.) Mexican Crested 

 Flycatcher, On comparing this bird with crinitiis, it 

 is immediately perceived to be different. The lateral tail- 

 feathers have a stripe of fuscous on inner web adjoining 

 shaft, this stripe equalling or exceeding width of whole 

 outer web of the respective feathers, and being about half- 

 and-half with the rufous, whereas in crinitus there is only the narrowest possible dusky stripe 

 on inner web, or none at all. This dusky stripe is of imiform width throughout, not enlarged 

 at the end to occupy most or all of the feather, as is the case with cinerascens. Entire upper 

 parts darker than those oi crinitus — that is, they have a sordid brownish-olive cast, instead 

 of the clearer and purer greenish-olive of crinitus ; yellow of belly much paler ; ash of throat 

 decidedly lighter and clearer, and coming farther down breast, yielding to yellow without in- 

 tervention of the olivaceous pectoral area which is usually conspicuous iu eri)iitus. The gen- 

 eral aspect of the under parts is much as in cinerascens, both the distribution and shade of the 

 colors being more as witnessed in the latter than as seen in crinitus. The light edgings oi 

 the wing-feathers are also paler than those of crinitus. The bill is black, not dark brown, 

 slenderer than in crinitus ; nor has it the very constricted shape of tliat of cinerascens. Tlie 

 general body-coloration is almost exactly as in cinerascens, from which it is at once distin- 

 guished by different shape of bill and different pattern of tail-feathers. Average length 8.75 ; 

 extent about 12.75; wing 3.60-4.00 ; tail 3.75 ; bill 0.75; tarsus 0.85 ; middle toe and daw 

 0.75. Lower Rio Grande valley of Texas, and southward to Guatemala. Common, migra- 

 tory, arriving in Texas early in April, and leaving in Sept., breeding in Ajiril and May. Nest 

 and eggs like those of crinitus, said to average paler, but not distinguishable ; number -1-6, 

 usually 5 ; size ordinarily 0.88 X 0.69. This bird is now identified with the badly described 

 Tyranmda mexicana Kaup, P. Z. S. 1851, p. 51 ; it is M. me.ricanus Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 

 p. 473 (Texas), and Lawr. Ann. Lye N. Y. May, 1869, p. 202, but not M. mexicanus Bd. 

 B. N. A. 18.58, p. 179 (which is M. cinerascens) ; A. O. U. Suppl. List, Auk, Jan. 1897, 

 p. 127, No. 4.53); 31. mexicanus Kidgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ii, p. 14; Man. 1887, p. 3.'J;J; 

 M. crinitus var. irritabilis CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1872, p. 65, iu part, tiec Tyrannus 



Fig. 348. — Great Crested Flycatclier, 

 reduced. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) 



