SPECIES 9. MUSCICAPrf SOLITARM. 

 SOLITARY FLYCATCHER. 

 [Plate XVII. Fig. 6. Male.] 



THIS rare species I can find no where described. I have 

 myself never seen more than three of them; all of whom cor- 

 responded in their markings; and on dissection were found to 

 be males. It is a silent, solitary bird. It is also occasionally 

 found in the state of Georgia, where I saw a drawing of it in 

 the possession of Mr. Abbot, who considered it a very scarce 

 species. He could give me no information of the female. The 

 one from which the figure in the plate was taken, was shot in 

 Mr. Bartram's woods, near Philadelphia, among the branches 

 of dogwood, in the month of October. It appears to belong to 

 a particular family, or subdivision of the Muscicapa genus, 

 among which are the White-eyed, the Yellow-throated, and 

 several others already described in the present work. Why 

 one species should be so rare, while another, much resembling 

 it, is so numerous, at least a thousand for one, is a question I 

 am unable to answer; unless by supposing the few we meet 

 with here to be accidental stragglers from the great body, which 

 may have their residence in some other parts of our extensive 

 continent. 



The Solitary Flycatcher is five inches long, and eight inches 

 in breadth; cheeks and upper part of the head and neck, a fine 

 bluish gray; breast pale cinereous; flanks and sides of the breast 

 yellow; whole back and tail coverts green olive; wings nearly 

 black; the first and second row of coverts tipt with white; the 

 three secondaries next the body edged with pale yellowish 

 white; the rest of the quills bordered with light green; tail 

 slightly forked, of the same tint as the wings, and edged with 



