Descriptive List 203 



4. Wing at least six times as long as tarsus. See 5. 



4. Wing not more than five times as long as tarsus. See 6. 



5. A white cottony patch on each side of rump; length more than 7 inches. Nullallornis. 



5. No white patch on each side of rump; length less than 7. Myiochanes. 



6. Length 7 or more. Sayornis. 

 6. Length 6 or less. Empidonnx. 



Genus Tyrannus (Lacep.) 



The genus includes a few flycatchers with long wings, comparatively short tail, 

 and a concealed crown-patch. One species is common with us, and another may 

 very possibly occur in the southeastern portion of the State as a straggler. 



1. Blackish above, tail conspicuously tipped with white. Kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus. 

 I. Plumbeous gi'ay above. Tail not tipped with white. Gray Kingbird, T yrannus dominicensis . 

 (Tlie latter ranges as far nortli as South Carolina on tlie coast.) 



187. Tyrannus tyrannus {Linn.). Kingbird; "Bee-martin." 



Description: Ads. — Upperparts grayish slate-color, darker on the head and upper tail-coverts; 

 head with a concealed orange-red crest; tail black, tipped with white; underparts white, washed 

 with grayish on the breast. Im. — Similar, but without the crown-patch, and with the plumage 

 more or less tinged with oclu-aceous-buff. The male has two outer iwimaries deeply emarginate 

 at the tip, the female usually only one, the immature bii-d none. L., 8. .51; W., 4.64; T., .3.55; 

 B. from N., .55. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range in United States. — Chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains. 



Range in North Carolina. — ^^'hole State in summer, breeding wherever found. 



Pig. 158. Kingbird. 



The Kingbird is found throughout the whole State in summer, arriving from 

 the south usually about the middle of April, except in the mountains, where it 

 reaches its breeding grounds late in April or early in May. 



It breeds in June, buikling its nest in the fork of a small tree, or saddling it on 

 the outstretched limb of a larger one. The nest is made of weed stems, often wth 

 much cotton, cattail fluff, or other soft material. The eggs are usually three in 

 number, of a creamy-white ground-color, spotted near the larger eiiil with rich 

 umber and chestnut-red. The average size is .97 x .70. After the breeding season, 

 the bird soon loaves the State, not having been recorded later than September 19. 



The Kingbirtl is much less common in the vicinity of Raleigh than formerly, 

 and CoUett states that it decreased in Cherokee County for a time, but of late 

 appears to be increasing. 



