372 rill". WESTERN KINGP-rtll). 



by, had it imt l)fi"n fur the coiistaiU sulicitiidc i>t a pair of Kingbirds, liivcstiga- 

 tinii sliowcd ihal tlio aiiciciU pucket liad bc-i-n craniiiie<l full of grass and twigs, 

 anil that it containi-d two fresh eggs of tiic I'Mycatcher. Ordinarily the nest is 

 placed in an upright or horizontal fork of a tree at a height of from three to 

 forty feet. Twigs, weed-stalks, and trash of any kind enter into the Ijasal con- 

 struction. The characteristic featine of the nesl, however, is the mould, or 

 matrix. conii)osed of vegetable plaster, ground woo<l. and the like. f)r else of 

 compacted wool and cow-hair, which is forced into the interstices of the outer 

 structure and muuded inside, giving shape to the whole. This cup, in turn, is 

 lined with fnie grasses, cow-hair, or variously. Occasionally, nests are found 

 composed almost entirely of wool. In others string is the principal ingredient. 



.\llho the Kingbird never sings, it has a characteristic and not unmusical 

 cry, licic. tide (spell it phthisic, if you favor the old sclutol ) or /.*<•<• tscc tscc 

 tscc. in numerous combinations of syllaltles, which ;ire cai)able of ex|)ressing 

 various degrees of excitement and emotion. 



In cistern Washington this Kingbird is common and well distributed, tlio 

 far less .iljundanl than the larger, grayer "Western." West of the Cascailcs it 

 is rare but regular, beins.; found cbietly ;dong the wooded m:u"gins of lakes. 



No. 1^3. 



WESTKRN KINCBIRD. 



A. O. V. N'o. 447. Tyrannus verticalis Say. 



Synonyms. — .\rk.\\s.\s Kincuikp. .\rk.\ns.\s Fi.vcatciii-r. 



Description. — .Iditit ^f^lll': Forei)arts, well down on breast, and upper back 

 ashv gray, lightening, nearly white, on chin and ujiper throat, darker on lores and 

 behind eye; a i)arlially concealed crown-patch of orange-red (Chinese orange); 

 lateral boundaries of this jiatcli olivaceous; back. sca])ulars. and rninp ashy 

 glossed with olive-green; this color shading to black on upjier tail-coverts; wings 

 fu^coiis ; tail black, the outer web of outermost rectrix white, or faintly tinged 

 with yellow; ini<leri)arts below breast rich canary yellow. ])aler on wing-linings 

 and lower tail-coverts; bill and feet black; iris brown. Adult I'cinalc: like male 

 but crown-patch usually somewhat restricted, and primaries much less attenuated. 

 )'i)Uii() birds arc duller anil browner without crown-patch, and with little or no 

 olivaceous on back; the yellow of uiiderp.irts is paler (sulphury or even whitish), 

 and the priniaries are scarcely or not at all attenuated. Length of adult males 

 about 0.00 (228.6); wing 3.12 ( 1,^0) ; tail 3.68 (O.V5>: •>'" •".? ('8.-»: tarsus 

 .74 (18.8). Females average less. 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink to Robin size; noisy, petulant ways; ashy 

 foreparts .ind \cllow belly distinctive. 



Nesting. — Xrst: of twigs, grasses, string, wix>l. and other soft substances, 

 placed at moderate heights in bushes or trees, or more commonly on beams and 



