SCISSOR-TAIL TYRANT 191 
The tail is forked, and the two outer feathers 
exceed by over four inches in length the next two. 
The total length of the adult male is fourteen inches, 
the tail being ten inches long ; this species is there- 
fore one of the longest-tailed we know of. The tail 
of the female is about two inches shorter than that 
of the male. The head is intense black; the plum- 
age of the crown is rather long and loose, and when 
raised displays a vivid yellow crest. The neck and 
upper surface is light, clear grey ; the under surface 
pure white; the tail black. During flight the two 
long feathers of the tail stream out behind like a pair 
of black ribbons; frequently the bird pauses sud- 
denly in its flight, and then the two long feathers 
open out in the form of the letter V. 
The Scissor-tail is migratory, and arrives, already 
mated, at Buenos Ayres at the end of September, 
and takes its departure at the end of February in 
families—old and young birds together. In dis- 
position and general habits it resembles the true 
Tyrant-birds, but differs from them in language, 
its various chirping and twittering notes having a 
hard percussive sound, which Azara well compares 
to the snapping of castanets. It prefers open situa- 
tions with scattered trees and bushes; and is also 
partial to marshy grounds, where it takes up a 
position on an elevated stalk to watch for insects, 
and seizes them in the air like the Flycatcher, It 
also greedily devours elderberries and other small 
fruits. 
The nest is not deep, but is much more elaborately 
