284 GENUS SAYORNIS. 



represents a male in the act of literally plucking his rival, 

 and this author states that such is often the case. 



The food of the Great Crested Flycatcher consists of 

 insects, but in the lall, when such food becomes scarce, it 

 devours wild berries, principally those of the common jjoke 

 weed. In no sense is it an injurious bird to the farmer, 

 and, as it does not usually come near the apiary, the bees 

 do not sutler. 



Should this bird remain numerous, in spite of the destruc- 

 tion of the woods, its habits must necessarily be modified, 

 and it may then frequent our orchards and small strips of 

 wood in the vicinity of our dwellings. 



From the rest of its family it may easily be distinguished 

 by its color, which is of a dull greenish olive on the upper 

 parts. Upper tail coverts rusty brown. Breast, throat and 

 neck ashy blue. Abdomen bright yellow. Sides of the 

 body tinged with olive. Witigs brown ; lower wing coverts 

 yellow. A narrow band of dull white across the margins 

 of the upper wing coverts. Tail light brown with the lat- 

 teral feathers edged with pale olive. 



Length 8f inches. In general, about the same size as the 

 King Bird. 



Specimens in the Museum of the Cleveland Academy of 

 Natural Science. 



Genus Sayornis, Bonaparte^ 



Head with a blended, depressed, moderate crest. Tarsus 

 decidedly longer than middle toe, which is scarcely longer 

 than the hind toe. Bill rather narrow; width at the base 



