TVUANNID.K - TlIK FLV('AT('IIlt:US. ^09 



M. forficatus. Wliitish-ush uUovc; rump Mack. Tail-tVatlnTs rose-white 

 with hhick tips; shuultU'is, axilhirs, juid Itflly ii-^iit vcnniHon. IInU. Mitldle 

 AiiuMica, and open portions of Texas, lutliaii Territoiv etc.; aciideiital in 

 Ni'W Jersey. 



M. tyranniia.* Head ahuve and tail hhuk ; tlie latter edp'<l externally 

 with white. Uaek asiiy. IJeneath pure white. Uah. Middle America, 

 accidental iu Eudleru t'uited States. 



MilvuluB tyrannus, Box. 



FOBS-TAILED FLTCATCHEB. 



Mtiscicapa tymtmus, Link. Syst. Nat. I, 1706, 325. Milvuius tyrannm, Bonai". Ocog. 

 List, 1838. — Arm- HON, Synopsis, lS3i», 38. — lu. Birds Am. 1, 184U, lUti, pi. lii. — 

 B.viiin, BiriLi N. Aui. 1858, 108. — Cauan. Journ. 1801, 251. — Scl. List. 1802, 237. 

 — FiNscii, P. Z. S. 1870, 572 (Trinidad ; considers rt.<fr/rf*w, tynmnus, and monachus 

 as identieal). Desjmtcs tyrannies, lioXAP. Comptes Rendus, 1854, 87. Tyrunnus 

 mi'una, Vieili.ot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 72, pi. xliii. — Swainsox, Mon. Ty. Shrikes ; 

 (juartt'rly Jour. XX, Jan. 1820, 282. MuscicnjMi sacana, Bonap, Am. Orn. 1, 1825, 1, 

 pi. i, r. 1. — Aui). OiTi. Biog. II, 1834, 387, pi. clxviii. Milculm mi-anus, Guay, 

 List, 1841. Tyrnnnas miifulus, Nuttall, Man., (2d vd.,) I, 1840, 307. Fork-tnihd 

 Flycatcher, Pennant, Latham. Tyran a queue four chue, Buffox, pi. onl. 571. 



Si'. CiiAK. Outer four primaries abruptly attenuated «it the end, the side.s of the attenu- 

 ated portion parallel. Second and third quilKs longest; fourth little shorter, and not 

 nmch exceeding the first. Tail very deeply forked; the external feather linear, and twice 

 a^ long as the head and body alone. Top and sides of the head glossy black. Rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and tail almost black ; the outer web of outer tail-feather yellowish- 

 white for more than the basal half; rest of upper parts jish-gray. Under parts geneially 

 pure white. Wings dark brown ; the outer primary and tertials edged with white. 

 Crown with a concealed patch of yellow. Length, 14.00; wing, 4.75; tail, 10.00; depth 

 of fork, 7.00. Young. No colored patch on crown ; wing-coverts (including the lesser) 

 and tail-feathers, with their upper coverts, bordered with rusty ochraceous. Black of 

 head, tail, etc., duller than in adult. 



Hab. Mexico to South America. Accidental in the United States. (New Jersey, 

 Kentucky, and Mississippi, Audubon.) 



This species claims a place in the fauna of the United States on account 

 of two specimens captured in New Jersey, at long intervals, and one or two 

 seen by Mr. Audubon in the southwest. It is, however, hardly proper to 

 include it in our work on so slight a basis, and we only retain it for the 

 purpose of referring to the notice of it by Mr. Audubon. 



Habits. The Fork-tailed Flycatcher is of purely accidental occurrence in 

 the United States. Two specimens, taken at long intervals, are said to have 

 been captured in the United States. One of these w^as shot by ^Ir. Au- 

 dubon, in June, 1832, near the city of Camden, N. J. It was first observed 



1 M. iyrannus, var. violentics {Tyrannus violentus, Vieill. N. D. xxxv, p. 89. Milxndus 

 v., Sol. Catal. Am. B. 1802, 237), is the South American race of this species. It is exceedingly 

 similar, but differs slightly, though constantly, iu certain characters. We have not at present 

 the means of comparing the two. 



