TYRANNID^ — THE FLYCATCHERS. 309 



M. forficatus. Whitish-ash above; rump black. Tail-feathers rose-white 

 with black tips ; shoulders, axillars, and belly light vermilion. Hob. Middle 

 America, and open portions of Texas, Indian Territory, etc. ; accidental in 

 New Jersey. 



M. tyrannus.' Head above and tail black ; the latter edged externally 

 with white. Back ashy. Beneath pure white. Hah. Middle America, 

 accidental in Eastern United States. 



Milvulus tyrannus, Bon. 



FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER. 



3Iuscicapa tAjranmis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 325. Milvulus tyrannus, Bonap. Geog. 

 List, 1838. — Audubon, Synopsis, 1839, 38. — Ib. Birds Am. I, 1840, 196, pi. Hi. — 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 168. — Caban. Journ. 1361, 251. — Scl. List. 1862, 237. 

 — FiNSCH, P. Z. S. 1870, 572 (Trinidad ; considers violentus, tyrannus, a,u(i monachus 

 as identical). Desjiotes tyrajinus, Bonap. Comptes Rendus, 1854, 87. Tyrannus 

 savana, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. \, 1807, 72, pi. xliii. — Swainson, Mon. Ty. Shrikes ; 

 Quarterly Jour. XX, Jan. 1826, 282. Muscicai)a savana, BoNAP. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 1, 

 pi. i, f. 1. — AuD. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 387, pi. clxviii. Milvulus savanus, Gray, 

 List, 1841. Tyrannus milvulus, Nuttall, Man., (2d ed.,) I, 1840, 307. Fork-tailed 

 Flycatcher, Pennant, Latham. Tyran a queue fourchue, Buffon, pi. enl. 571. 



Sp. Char. Outer four primaries abruptly attenuated at the end, the sides of the attenu- 

 ated portion parallel. Second and third quills longest; fourth little shorter, and not 

 much exceeding the first. Tail very deeply forked ; the external feather linear, and twice 

 as long as the head and body alone. Top and sides of the head glossy black. Rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and tail almost black ; the outer web of outer tail-feather yellowish- 

 white for more than the basal half; rest of upper parts ash-gray. Under parts generally 

 pure white. Wings dark brown ; the outer primary and tertials edged with white. 

 Crown with a concealed patch of yellow. Length, 14.00; wing, 4.75; tail, 10.00; depth 

 of fork, 7.00. Young. No colored patch on crown ; wing-coverts (including the lesser) 

 and tail-feathers, with their upper coverts, bordered with rusty ochraceous. Black of 

 head, tail, etc., duller than in adult. 



Hab. Mexico to South America. Accidental in the United States. (New Jersey, 

 Kentucky, and Mississippi, Audubon.) 



This species claims a place in the fauna of the United States on account 

 of two specimens captured in New Jersey, at long intervals, and one or two 

 seen by Mr. Audubon in the southwest. It is, however, hardly proper to 

 include it in our work on so slight a basis, and we only retain it for the ' 

 purpose of referring to the notice of it by Mr. Audubon. 



Habits. The Fork-tailed Flycatcher is of purely accidental occurrence in 

 the United States. Two specimens, taken at long intervals, are said to have 

 been captured in the United States. One of these was shot by Mr. Au- 

 dubon, in June, 1832, near the city of Camden, N. J. It was first observed 



^ M. tijrannus, var. violentus {Tyrannus violentus, Vieill. N. D. xxxv, p. 89. Milvulus 

 v., Sol. Catal. Am. B. 1862, 237), is the South American race of this species. It is exceedingly 

 similar, but differs slightly, though constantly, in certain characters. We have not at present 

 the means of comparing the two. 



