TYRANNID^ — THE FLYCATCHERS. 327 



The eggs of this species are not easily distinguishable from those of the 

 common Kingbird. They have a ground-color of a crystalline whiteness, 

 marked with bold dashes of reddish and purplish brown, the latter fewer 

 and faint. They are oblong in shape, are pointed at one end, and measure 

 1 inch in length by .70 of an inch in breadth. 



Tyrannus vociferans, Swainson. 



CASSIN'S FLYCATCHER. 



Tyrannus vociferans, Swainson, Mon. Tyrant Shrikes in Quarterly Journal Sc. XX, Jan. 

 1826, 273. —Ib. Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 368. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 174, pi. 

 xlviii. — Ib. M. B. II, Birds 8, pi. x. — ScL. Catal. 1862, 235. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. 

 I, 1870, 314. Laphyctes vociferans, Caban. Mus. Hein. II, 77. Tyrannus cassini, 

 Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lye. N. H. V, 1852, 39, pi. iii, fig. 2 (Texas). 



Sp, Char. Bill from the forehead about as long as the head. Tail even or slightly 

 rounded. Outer five primaries attenuated ; the first four abruptly and deeply emargi- 

 nated ; third quill longest, second and fourth a little less, first shorter than the sixth, and 

 half an inch less than the longest. Head and neck above and on the sides rather dark 

 bluish-ash ; the throat and breast similar, and only a little paler. Rest of upper parts 

 olive-green tinged with gray, mixed with brown on the rump ; the upper tail-coverts and 

 surface of the tail nearly black ; the outer web of the external feather and the tips of all 

 pale brown. The chin is white, in strong contrast to the dark ash of the throat ; the 

 rest of the under parts bright sulphur-yellow (the sides olivaceous), palest on the under 

 tail-coverts and inside of wing. A concealed vermilion patch in the crown, bordered by 

 straw-yellow. Wing-feathers brown, tinged with olive, becoming paler towards the edge. 

 Length, 8.80 ; wing, 5.25 ; tail, 4.25. 



Hab. Valley of Gila and southern California, eastward to Pecos River, Texas, and into 

 Mexico, on table-lands; north along the Plains to Fort Laramie, south to Costa Rica, 

 Oaxaca (Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, 383) ; Vera Paz (Scl. Ibis I, 121) ; W. Arizona (Coues, P. A. 

 N. S. 1866, 59) ; Vera Cruz, hot and temp, regions, and Plateau (Sum, M. Bost. Soc. I, 557.) 



The table of specific characters presented under the generic head will 

 readily serve to distinguish tins species from its near ally, T. verticalis. The 

 white outer web of the exterior tail-feather in verticalis, compared with the 

 brown web, only edged with whitish of the present bird, is always sufficient 

 to separate them ; while the deep ash of the jugulum, and the much lighter, 

 more brownish shade of the wings, are entirely peculiar features. 



Habits. This bird is abundant in Vera Cruz, where it is known by the 

 name of Portuguez. According to Sumichrast, it belongs to the hot and 

 temperate regions, rather than the alpine. It is also common in the Plateau, 

 and is found in all parts of Mexico. 



In Arizona Dr. Coues states this bird to be an abundant summer resident, 

 arriving in that Territory during the third week in April, and remaining 

 until the latter part of September. It was found in every kind of locality. 

 He furnishes no information as to its habits. 



During the Mexican Boundary Survey this species Avas taken on the 



