on some Bahama Birds.



21



“ Fighter,” but not to be confused with the * Grey Tyrant, which

also passes under that name and which it closely resembles

in colouration and habits. There is one point worthy of note

about its plumage, viz., a bright coloured yellowish crest on the

top of the head. This crest occupies the same position as the

bright golden patch in our Golden-crested Wren, but there the

similarity ends ; in the latter bird the bright feathers are bright

for their whole length, but are concealed when the bird is

quiescent by the longer feathers in the front of the crown

completely covering them. With Pitangus it is otherwise ; the

bright colour is, as a rule, entirely concealed, being situated in

the bright coloured bases to the feathers of the crown, and no

amount of erecting the crest, which is frequently done, will

display to any extent this patch. The colour is displayed however,

and most effectively too; it is done by drawing to either side the

feathers of the crown, especially the small ones immediately in

front of the patch, and erecting the crest at the same time. A

bird which I had in captivity for a short time used, probably from

fear, to display it thus on my approach ; this it would do several

times in rapid succession, the sudden display and obliteration

producing a very curious and weird effect. Three or four other

species of Flycatchers are found in the islands, and they all bear

a very close resemblance to each other, although only Pitangus

and Tyrannus have the bright crest. The most common species,

next to Pitangus , is the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher ( MyiarcJuis

sagrae), a species generally met within pairs, and frequenting the

bushes in the pine barren, although it is often met with in the

“ coppet.”


They are very tame and allow a close observation, especially

when building their nest, which is generally placed down a hole

in a tree and composed chiefly of dry grass ; both parents work

assiduously at the nidification, but if they should meet on

returning with some material they would stop on a near-by

bough for a short flirtation, after which each would go off again

in a different direction.


No record of the birds in this part of the globe would be



P. caudifasciatus —Mus. Cat. Vol. XIV., p. 179.



