BIRDS — TYRANNINAE — TYRANNUS VERTICALIS. 



173 



the bill and feet being much stronger, the former considerably longer than the head, and a 

 large as that of Saurophagus sulphuratus, though less compressed. 



This species is a constant summer visitor to the maritime portions of Florida, and thence to 

 the West Indies ; and a pair has been observed at Charleston, by Mr. Audubon. It is not well 

 established whether our species is to be considered the true dominicensis or the griseus, if distinct, 

 as asserted by Bonaparte in his Conspectus Avium. The specimen described is a Florida one. 



Cabanis, as quoted above, has instituted a genus Melittarchus, with magnirostris as type, for 

 the tyrants with very large swollen bills, emarginated tails, and less attenuated outer prima- 

 ries. The gradations, however, in size of bill of the tyrants are so slight, and the other 

 characters so variable, even in the smaller billed species, that the group seems scarcely of 

 generic value. 



List of specirnens. 



TYRANNUS VERTICALIS, Say. 



Arkansas Flycatcher. 



Tj/rannws uodcaHs, Sat. Long's Exped. II, 1823, 60.— Ndttall, Man. II, 2d ed. 1840, 306. 



Jtfusctcopo ceWicoHs, Bonap. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 18; pi. xi.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 422; pi. 359.— Ib. Birds 

 America I, 1840, 199 ; pi. 54. 



Sp. Ch. — The four exterior quills attenuated very gently at the end, the first most so ; third and fourth quills longest, 

 second and fifth successively a little shorter. Tail slightly forlied ; bill shorter than- the head. Crown, sides of head above the 

 eyes, nape, and sides of neck pale lead color or ash gray ; a concealed crest in the crown, vermilion in the centre, and yellowish 

 before and behind. Hind neck and back ash gray, strongly tinged with li»ht olivaceous green, the gray turning to brown on the 

 rump ; upper tail coverts nearly black, lower dusky ; chin and part of ear coverts dull white ; throat and upper part of breast 

 similar to the head, but lighter, and but slightly contrasted with the chin ; rest of lower parts, with the under wing coverts and 

 axillars, yellow, deepening to gamboge on the belly, tinged with olivaceous on the breast. Wing brown, the coverts wilh 

 indistinct ashy margins ; secondaries and tertials edged with whitish ; inner webs of primaries whitish towards the base. Tail 

 nearly black above and glossy, duller brownish beneath ; without olivaceous edgings. Exterior feather, with the outer web and 

 the shaft, yellowish white ; inner edge of latter brown. Tips of remaining feathers paler. Bill and feet dark brown. 



Female rather smaller and colors less bright. Length of male, 8.25 ; wing about 4.50. 



Hah. — Western North America, from the high central plains to the Pacific. 



The young bird is, in general, quite similar^ with the exception of the usual appearance of 

 immaturity, the colored patch on the crown wanting. In one specimen the first primary only 

 is attenuated, in others none are attenuated. 



A specimen of this bird, shot at Moorestown, New Jersey, is in the museum of the Philadelphia 

 Academy, but this locality can only be considered as very exceptional. 



