TYRANNID.E—TYRANNIN.E: TYRANT FLYCATCHERS. 533 



Gnatcatcher, being small, neat, and compact, of leaves, straws, rootlets, and other fibres ; eggs 

 3-4, pale buff or dull whitish, immaculate. {Euipidonax pygmmis Coues, Ibis, 1865, p. 537; 

 Mitrephorus pallescens Coues, Proc. Phila. Acad. 1866, p. 63; Elliot, B. N. A. pi. 19; M. 

 fulvif rons viir. pallescens Coues, Key, Isted. 1872, p. 176; Mitrephanes fidvifrons pallescens 

 Coues, Key, 2d-4th eds. 1884-90, p. 443; Empidonax fulrifrons pygimeus Ridgw. Pr. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. viii, 1885, p. 3.56; Man. 1887, p. 345; A. 0. U. Lists, 1st and 2d eds. 1886-95, 

 No. 470 a. My original specimens, affording the descriptions quoted, and the first known to 

 have been taken in the United States, do not appear to be specifically distinct from Muscicapa 

 fulvif rons of Giraud (B. of Tex. 1841, pi. 2, f. 2j ; they are clean spring birds, and the spe- 

 cies is more fulvous in fall plumage.) 



PYROCE'PHALUS. (Gr. irvp, gen. trvpos, pur, puros, fire ; Kec^aXij, hephale, head.) FiRE- 

 CROWNED Flycatchers. Sexes very dissimilar: head of $ with a full globular crest 

 (fig. 353), and all under parts (usually) scarlet-red; other parts deep brown; 9 brown and 

 whitish. Bill slender, narrow at base, much as in Sayornis. Wings moderate, pointed; 2d- 

 4th quills longest, 1st between 5th and 6th. Tail nearly even, shorter than wings, of broad 

 feathers. Tarsus scarcely longer than middle toe and claw. A tropical genus of several spe- 

 cies, one of which reaches our border. 



P. rubi'neus mexica'nus. (Lat. ruhineus, ruby-red.) Vermilion Flycatcher. Adult $ : 

 Pure dark brown, including stripe along side of head ; wings and tail blackish with slight pale 

 edgings ; full globular crest, and all under parts scarlet or vermilion ; bill and feet black. 9 • 

 Dull brown, including the little-crested crown ; below, white, tinged with red, reddish or or- 

 ange in some places ; breast and sides with slight dusky streaks. Immature $ shows grada- 

 tion between characters of both sexes ; at first there is no red what- 

 ever, the bird otherwise resembling 9 > but pale yellowish where she 

 is reddish ; upper parts gray ; all the feathers may be skirted with 

 whitish, especially on the wing-coverts and inner secondaries; tail 

 quite blackish ; under parts more purely white than in 9) '"^^J rather 

 speckled than streaked with gray. But reddish soon replaces the 

 yellow of the crissum and axillars. Adult $ $ are subject to much 

 variation ; the red is sometimes rather orange. Length about 6.00; 

 wing 3.25; tail 2.50; bill 0.45; tarsus 0.55; middle toe and claw fio. 353.— Head of Ver- 



0.50. Valleys of the Rio Grande and Colorado, and N. to the bor- miiion Flycatcher, 

 ders of Utah, S. in Lower California and Mexico to Guatemala ; common in Arizona on the 

 Gila ; a very showy little bird, of the usual flycatcher habits. Some individuals winter over 

 our border, but most enter there in March and depart in October. Breeds from late April to 

 early July, and may raise two broods. Nest in trees or bushes at very variable height, set in 

 a horizontal fork, flat, frail, flimsy, of twigs, plant fibres and down, cobwebs, feathers, fur, 

 hair, etc. Eggs 3, sometimes only 2, 0.70 X 0.52, pale buff or creamy, boldly sjiotted and 

 blotched with various dark brown and neutral tints, the markings tending to aggregate at or 

 wreathe around the large end. 



ORNITH'ION. (Gr. opvidiov, ornithion, dimin. of opvis, ornis, a bird.) Beardless Fly- 

 catchers. General aspect of Empidonax, but remarkably distinguished hy purine shape of 

 bill and almost entire absence of rictal bristles so conspicuous in most genera of Tyrannida, 

 though a few slight ones may be seen on close inspection. Bill much shorter than liead, stout, 

 compressed, not depressed as usual in Tyrannida, with high-ridged arched culmen and scarcely 

 overhanging tip; commissure gently decurved ; gonys about straight. Head a little crested, 

 as in Empidonax, Contopus, etc. Wings of moderate length, much rounded; 2d to 5th pri- 

 maries subequal and longest, 6th shorter, 1st about equal to 7th. Tail a little shorter than 

 wings, even or scarcely rounded. Tarsus long, exceeding middle toe and claw; lateral toes 

 subequal, their claws about reaching base of middle claw; hind claw shorter than its digit. Of 



