SAY'S FLYCATCHER. 163 



Muscicapa obscura of Latham (Dusky Flycatcher of his Synopsis), 

 from the Sandwich Islands ; but, besides the difference of the tail 

 feathers, described as acute in that bird, the locality decides against its 

 identity with ours. The other description is that of a bird from Cay- 

 enne, the Muscicapa obscura of Vieillot,* given by that author as very 

 distinct from Latham's, although he has applied the same name to it, no 

 doubt inadvertently. This may possibly be our bird ; but, even in this 

 case, the name we have chosen will necessarily be retained, as that of 

 obscura attaches to Latham's species by the right of priority. 



This Flycatcher strongly resembles the common Pewee {Muscicapa 

 fused), but differs from that familiar bird by the very remarkable form 

 of the bill ; by the color of the plumage, which verges above on cinna- 

 mon-brown instead of greenish, and beneath is cinereous and rufous 

 instead of yellowish-ochreous ; and by the proportional length of the 

 primary feathers, the first being longer than the sixth in our bird, 

 whereas it is shorter in the Pewee. 



The total length of Say's Flycatcher is seven inches. The bill is 

 long, straight, and remarkably flattened ; the upper mandible is blackish, 

 and but very slightly emarginated ; the lower mandible is much dilated, 

 and pale horn color on the disc. The feet are blackish ; the irides 

 are brown. The general color of the whole upper parts is dull cinna- 

 mon-brown, darker on the head ; the plumage at base is of a lead color. 

 The throat and breast are of the same dull cinnamon tint, gradually 

 passing into pale rufous towards the belly, which is entirely of the latter 

 color ; the under wing coverts are white, slightly tinged with rufous. 

 The primaries are dusky, tinged with cinnamon, and having brown 

 shafts ; they are considerably paler beneath. The first primary is a 

 quarter of an inch shorter than the second, which is nearly as long as 

 the third ; the third is longest ; the fourth and fifth gradually decrease, 

 and the sixth is decidedly shorter than the first. The tail is hardly 

 emarginated, and of a blackish-brown color. 



We know nothing of the habits of this Flycatcher, except what has 

 been communicated by Mr. T. Peale, from his manuscript notes. The 

 bird had a nest in July, the time when it was obtained ; its voice is 

 somewhat different from that of the Pewee, and first called attention 

 to its nest, which was built on a tree, and consisted chiefly of moss and 

 clay, with a few blades of dried grass occasionally interwoven. The 

 young birds were, at that season, just ready to fly. 



* Nouv. Diet, d'llist. Nat. xxi., p. 451. 



