TYRANNID.E — THE FLYCATCHERS. 347 



Sayornis sayus, Baird. 



SAY'S PEWEE. 



Miiscicapa saya, Bonap. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 20, pi. xi, fig. 3. — Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 

 428, pi. ccclix. — Ib. Birds Am. I, 1840, 217, pi. lix. Tyrannus saya, Nuttall, 

 Man. I, (2(i ed.,) 1840, 311. Myiohius saya, Gray, Genera, I, 1844-49, 249. Ochthmca 

 sayl, Cabanis, Wiegmann Aruliiv, 1847, i, 2.55 (not type). Tyrannula saya, Bonap. 

 Consjjectus, 1850. — Max. Cab. J. VI, 1858, 183. Aulanax sayus, Cabanis, Journ. 

 Orn. 1856, 2. Tyrannula pallida, Swainson, Syn. Birds Mex. No. 15, in Taylor's 

 Phil. Mag. I, 1827, 367. Sayornis pallida, Bonap. — a3L. P. Z. S. 1857, 204. Say- 

 ornis sayus, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 185. —Ib. M. B. II, Birds, 9. — Cooper, 

 Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 320. Theromyias saya, Caban. M. H. II, Sept. 1859, 68 (type). 



Sp. Char. Above and on the sides of the head, neck, and breast, grayish-brown, 

 darker on the crown ; region about the eye dusky. The chin, tliroat, and upper part of 

 the breast similar to the back, but rather lighter and tinged with the color of tlie rest of 

 the lower parts, which are pale cinnamon. Under wing-coverts pale rusty-white. The 

 wings of a rather deeper tint than the back, with the exterior vanes and tips of the quills 

 darker. Edges of the greater and secondary coverts, of tlie outer vane of the outer 

 primary, and of the secondaries and tertials, dull white. The upper tail-coverts and tail 

 nearly black. Edge of outer vane of exterior tail-feather white. Bill dark brown, 

 rather paler beneath. The feet brown. Second, third, and fourth quills nearly equal ; 

 fifth nearly equal to sixth ; sixth much shorter than the fifth. Tail broad, emarginate. 

 Tarsi with a posterior row of scales. Length, 7 inches ; wing, 4.30 ; tail, 3.35. 



Hab. Missouri and central High Plains, westward to the Pacific and south to Mexico. 

 Xalapa (Scl. 1859, 366) ; Orizaba (Scl. List, 199) ; Vera Cruz, winter ? (Sum. M. Bost. 

 Soc. I, 557) ; S. E. Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 473, breeds) ; W. Arizona (Coues, P. A. 

 N. S. 1866, 60). 



The young of the year have the upper parts slightly tinged with ferrugi- 

 nous ; two broad (ferruginous) bands on the wings formed by the tips of the 

 first and second coverts. The quills and tail rather darker than in an adult 

 specimen. 



Autumnal specimens are simply more deeply colored than spring examples, 

 the plumage softer and more blended. 



Habits. Say's Flycatcher has an extended distribution throughout west- 

 ern North America, from Mexico, on the south, to the plains of the Saskatch- 

 ewan on the north, and from the Eio Grande and the Missouri to the Pacific 

 Ocean. 



It was first discovered by Mr. Titian Peale on the Arkansas Eiver, near 

 the Eocky Mountains, and described by Bonaparte. Mr. Peale noticed a 

 difference in its voice from that of the common ^S'. fuscus, and found it nesting 

 in a tree, building a nest of mud and moss, lined with dried grasses. Its 

 young were ready to fly in July. Eichardson obtained individuals of this 

 species at the Carlton House, May 13. It is not given by Cooper "and 

 Suckley in their Zoology of Washington Territory, but Dr. Newberry found 

 it not uncommon throughout both Oregon and California. 



Mr. Sumichrast ascertained the presence of this bird within the Department 



