432 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— PASSEEES— CLAMATORES. 



smaller than $, with the tail commonly lesa developed. Young: Similar; primary not 

 abruptly emargiuate ; tail undeveloped ; no crown-spot, and little or no red. Lower Missis- 

 sippi valley and Texas ; usually N. to Indian Terri- 

 tory and Kansas, even S. W. Missouri; accidental in 

 New Jersey and New England ! A most elegant, 

 graceful, and showy bird, abundant in Texas, con- 

 spicuous by the display it makes in opening and clos- i- ^a^\\v^ 

 ing the tail, like scissor-blades ; very active, dashing 

 and noisy, like a king-bird, — all the large flycatchers 

 sharing this same impetuous, irritable disposition. 

 Nesting like the king-bird's ; eggs 4-5, white, boldly 

 blotched with reddish on the surface, and lilac shell- 

 spots; laid in May. ^KUKA^l 

 119. TYKAN'NUS. (Lat. i?/ran«i<s, a tyrant.) King Fly- ^^SflF' 



CATCHERS. Tail moderate in size and shape, rather ^y^mal i -^^ --^ __ 



shorter than wing, even or little rounded, emarginate ,i^lffi ' 1 ) n^ fi^\'^^ ^ '^'^ 



or lightly forked. -Wings long, pointed by the 2d-3d ■'^\^*'M ' \\ f^^- W" iJ^ 

 quills, 1st and 4th little if any shorter, 5th and rest '^I'^V "'/ / 1"^ i''?^ J^\ 

 rapidly graduated. Several outer primaries abruptly '^n\,,\^ i ^^^ ■ w" ■^~1^V>-^ 

 emarginate or sinuate-narrow-ed on inner webs towards '^\ ;jl '|,g^;^a,Bi?^^ \ii \^ 

 end. Bill stout, flattish, fully bristled, notched, and 

 hooked (fig. 278). Feet small and weak, the tarsus ^.j 

 with scales obviously lapping around. Size large: l^s 



length 8 inches or more ; wing over 4. Sexes alike ; 

 9 sharing the flaming crown-patch ; primaries less or 

 not emarginate ? Young lacking the crown-spot and 

 attenuation of primaries. Nest bulky, on a bough, 

 compactly woven and felted. Eggs white, boldly Fig. 282. - Swaliow-tailed Flycatcher, 



marked with oval or tear-shaped spots of reddish- (Sheppard del. Nichols sc) 

 brown. Contains numerous species, 5 of N. Am., which have been divided into several named 

 subgenera, but are closely interrelated through various exotic species. They are the " king- 

 birds" proper. 



Analysis of Species. 

 No olive nor decided yellow ; hlackish and whitish. 



Only two primaries obviously emarginate. Tail about even, conspicuously white-tipped. Bill small, 



under 1.00. (Tyrannus) carolinensis 368 



Five or six primaries emarginate. Tail emarginate, merely lighter at end. Bill big, 1.00 long. {Melit- 



tarclnis) dominicensis 369 



Olivaceous, with pure yellow on belly, ashy on head. Bill moderate. {Laphyctes.) 

 Tail blackish, merely emarginate; wings dark brown. 



Several outer primaries gradually attenuate for a long distance. Outer web of outer tail-feather 



white vertlcalis 370 



Several outer primaries abruptly emarginate for a short distance. Outer web of outer tail-feather 



merely whitish-edged vociferans 371 



Tail dark brown, like the wings, obviously forked 



Several outer primaries abruptly emarginate for a short distance couchi 372 



368. T. Caroline n 'sis. (Of Carolina. Fig. 283.) King-bird. Bee-martin. ^ 9 > adult : 

 No olive nor decided yellow. Only two outer primaries obviously emarginate (fig. 279, 6). 

 Tail nearly even — if anything a little rounded. Blackish-ash, still darker or quite black on 

 head, crown with a flaming spot. Below, pure white, the breast shaded with plumbeous. 

 Wings dusky, with much whitish edging. Tail black, broadly and sharply tipped with 

 white, the outer feather sometimes edged with the same. Bill and feet black. Young : 

 Lacking emargination of the primaries, and no crown-spot ; very young birds show rufous 



