320 THE KING-BIRD. 



The length of this species is five inches, extent six and a 

 quarter ; the general color above is black, which covers the 

 whole head and neck, and spreads on the upper part of the 

 breast in a rounding forfti ; where, as well as on the head 

 and neck, it is glossed with steel blue ; sides of the breast, 

 below this black, the inside of the wings, and upper half of 

 the wing-quills, are of a fine aurora color ; but the greater 

 and lesser coverts of the wings being black conceal this ; and 

 the orange, or aurora color, appears only as a broad trans- 

 verse band across the wings ; from thence to the tip they are 

 brownish ; the four middle feathers of the tail are black, the 

 other eight of the same aurora color, and black towards the 

 tips ; belly and vent white, slightly streaked with pale orange ; 

 legs black ; bill of the true Muscicapa form, triangular at the 

 base, beset with long bristles, and notched near the point ; 

 the female has not the rich aurora band across the wing ; her 

 back and crown is cinerous, inclining to olive ; the white be- 

 low is not so pure ; lateral feathers of the tail and sides of the 

 breast greenish yellow ; middle tail feathers dusky brown. 

 The young males of a year old are almost exactly like the 

 female, differing in these particulars, that they have a yellow 

 band across the wings which the female has not, and the 

 back is more tinged with brown ; the lateral tail feathers are 

 also yellow ; middle ones brownish black j inside of the wings 

 yellow. On the third season they receive their complete 

 colors ; and as males of the second year, in nearly the dress 

 of the female, are often seen in the woods, having the same 

 notes as the full plumaged male, it has given occasion to some 

 people to assert, that the females sing as well as the males ; 

 and others have taken them for another species. The fact, 

 however, is as I have stated it. This bird is too little known 

 by people in general to have any provincial name. 



The Blue-gray Flycatcher is a diminutive species, which 

 but for the length of the tail, would rank next to our hum- 

 ming bird in magnitude. It is a very dexterous flycatcher, 

 and has also something of the manners of the titmouse, with 

 whom, in early spring and fall, it frequently associates. It 



