BIRDS — TYEANNINAE — EMPIDON AX MINIMUS. 



195 



towards tlie rump, but this and the upper tail coverts and, indeed, the upper parts generally, 

 are of a soiled brownish tinge, taking considerably from the purity of the olive. The under 

 wing coverts have also a decided shade of brownish ochraceous in the yellow. There is much 

 less white in the wing. The tail feathers are narrow and rounded as in minimus. The quills 

 are broad and rounded; the second, third, and fourth about equal ; the fifth nearly intermediate 

 between the fourth and sixth; the first shorter than the sixth; the primaries are about .65 

 longer than the first secondary. The legs are of about the same length as in minim,us. The 

 bill is much larger than in minimus, the ridge of the lower mandible measuring .35 of an inch 

 instead of .30 ; the color yellow instead of brownish. 



From traillii it differs in the brownish tinge of the under wing coverts, the browner upper 

 parts, and the less amount of white on the wings ; the first primary shorter than the sixth 

 instead of the fifth. The tarsi are longer ; the bill appears rather longer. 



This species appears to agree rather better than any before me with the Tyrannula pusilla of 

 Swainson, in F. Bor. Am., and I have accordingly adopted the name. His figure differs 

 materially from the description, and is certainly improperly colored, as is also that of 

 richardsonii of the same plate. In some respects U. minimus, Baird, agrees with T. pusilla of 

 Swainson, but a female of the species I here describe would answer quite as well in general, and 

 if, in the present monograph, I have succeeded in fixing the species of small Tyrannulas with 

 any degree of precision, it may be best to assign the synonymy as I have done. It is not likely 

 that the E. pusilla of Cabanis belongs here. 



Young birds have a good deal of reddish brown on the rump and upper tail coverts, and two 

 bands of the same across the wings. The inner wing coverts are as in the adult. 



List of specimens. 



EMPmONAX MINIMUS, Baird. 



Least Flycatcher. 



Tyrannula minima, Wm. M. and S. F. Baird, Pr. A. N. Sc. I, July 1843, 284.— Ib. Sillim. Ara. Jour. Sc. July, 1844. — 

 AcuDBON, Birds Amer. VII, 1844, 343 ; pi. 491. 



Sp. Ch. — Second quill longest ; third and fourth but little shorter ; fifth a little less ; first intermediate between fifth and si.xth. 

 Tail even. Above olive brown, darker on the head, becoming paler on the rump and upper tail coverts. The middle of the 

 back most strongly olivaceous. The nape (in some individuals) and sides of the head tinged with ash. A ring round the eye 

 and some of the loral feathers white ; the chin and throat white. The sides of the throat and across the breast dull ash, the 

 color on the latter sometimes nearly obsolete ; sides of the breast similar to the back, but of a lighter tint ; middle of the belly 

 very pale yellowish white, turning to pale sulphur yellow on the sides of the belly, abdomen, and lower tail coverts. Wings 

 brown ; two narrow white bands on wing formed by the tips of the first and second coverts, succeeded by one of brown. The 

 edge of the first primary, and of the secondaries and tertials, white. Tail rather lighter brown, edged e.vternally like the back. 

 Feathers narrow, not acuminate, with the ends rather blunt. In autumn the white parts are strongly tinged with yellow. 

 Length, about 5 inches ; wing, 2.65; tail, 2.50. 



Hub. — Eastern United States to Missouri plains. 



