388 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



dull white towards the edges. Female similar, without the crest ; the crown brown, like 

 the back ; the under parts whitish anteriorly, streaked with brown ; behind white, tinged 

 with red or ochraceous. Length of male about 5.50 ; wing, 3.25 ; tail, 2.75. Young 

 resembling the female, but lacking any trace of red, and with each feather of the upper 

 parts bordered with whitish, producing a very variegated appearance. 



Hab. Valleys of Rio Grande and Gila southward. Localities : Honduras (Moore, 

 P. Z. S. 1859, 55) ; Cordova (Scl. 1856, 296) ; Vera Cruz, hot to alpine regions (Sum. 

 M. B. S. I, 557) ; Yucatan (Lawr. IX, 201) ; Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 64). 



Every stage between the youngest plumage described and the adult male 

 may be found in a large series of immature specimens : the shade of the red 



in both sexes frequently varies, it being 

 sometimes of a slightly rosaceous tint, 

 and again decidedly inclining to orange ; 

 its amount in the female varies almost 

 with the individual. The two South 

 American races (var. nanus and var. ru- 

 hinciis ; see synopsis) differ in having the 

 brown of upper parts, etc., very decidedly 

 darker ; no appreciable light edgings to 

 wing-feathers, and sometimes an ap- 



Pyrocephalus ruhineiis. ■ ■, ■< ■ , -i /-\ j' 



preciably more intense red. Une oi 

 them {nanus) has a distinct white outer edge to lateral tail-feather, and 

 slight whitish tips to the other ; the other has no more than a trace of 

 these markings. 



Habits. This brilliant species is a rare summer visitant to Texas, New 

 Mexico, Arizona, and probably Southern California. It is found throughout 

 Middle America. It has only within a few years been known as a resident 

 within our territory, but was first observed in Texas by Captain McCown, of 

 the United States Army, in 1850, and its claim to a place in our fauna 

 publicly made by Mr. G. N. Lawrence. Captain McCown, in some notes on 

 the liabits of certain Texan birds, published in the Annals of the N. Y. 

 Lyceum, speaks of this Flycatcher as being seldom seen, and of his having 

 noticed not more than a dozen in Western Texas. He always found them 

 near ponds of water, in the vicinity of the Eio Grande, generally on a tree 

 or a stake near the water. He only met with one nest, and this was in- 

 accessible. It was built on an acacia over the water. 



Lieutenant Couch, in a letter to Mr. Cassin, states that he first met with 

 this bird at Charco Escondido, in Tamaulipas, on the 10th of March. The 

 males had come in advance of the females, as the latter were not observed 

 until several weeks afterwards. Early in the morning, and again about sunset, 

 one of these birds came to the artificial lake constructed there for the supply 

 of water to the inhabitants. It appeared to be of a very quiet and inoffen- 

 sive disposition, usually sitting on the upper branches of the trees, occasion- 

 ally uttering a low chirp. He subsequently met with these birds in Nueva 



