TV K A XN I I)/E — THE FLYCATCIIEUS. 329 



Tyrajums melancholicus, var. couchi, Baird. 



COUCH'S KIH6BIBD. 



Tijrannua couchi, IjAIUd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 17."», pi. xlix, f. 1. — Sci.. Catal. Am. B. 

 1802, 2a5. 



Sp. Char. Bill long as tlio hoa<l. Feet stout. Five outer primaries abruptly attenuated 

 at the end ; tiie third and fourth lonu'est ; the first a little loniror tiian tlie sixth. Tail 

 considerably forked (depth of fork about .IIO of an ineh, or more). Head, neek, and 

 ju<,'ulum bhiisli-ashy, beeomini; nearly white on the throat, and shaded with yellow on 

 the breast. Rest of lower [)arts gambotro-yellow. Rest of upper parts olive-green, 

 tinged with ash anteriorly. Tail and [)rimaries grayish-brown, the tail not the darker. 

 Wing-coverts passing externally into pale, the tertials edged with almost white. Crov.n 

 with a concealed patch of liright orange-red. Length, 1).U(.> ; wing, .').(►() ; tail, 4.70. 



Hah Middle America (l)«)th coasts), from southern border of United States, south to 

 Guatemala; Tucson, Arizona (Bendiuk). 



All specimens of T. mfJnnrhoJicvs from regions north of Guatemala are 

 referrible to var. ronrhi ; all from Costa IJica southward, to mclanchollcm. 



It is only by comparini^ s]>ecimens from near the extreme northern and 

 southern limits of the range of the species, that differences are readily dis- 

 cernible ; and between the.se two extremes tliere is so gradual a transition that 

 it is im|>ossil)le to draw a line; se])arating two wtdl-marked varieties, so that it 

 is neces.sary to assume an arl)itrary geograj)hical line, and determine speci- 

 mens from the middle regions by their position, whetlier to the north or 

 soutli of the line established. Specimens from Buenos Ayres, the Parana, 

 and Brazil, to Peru and New (Iranada, are identical. Costa Pica specimens 

 {T. satraim, LiCHT.) have the dark tail of var. mclancJwlicus and white throat 

 of couchi 



Genus MYIARCUUS, Cabanis. 



Myuirchus, Cabanis, Fauna Peruana, 1844-46, 152. — Burmeister, Thiere Brasiliens, 

 H, Viigel, 1856, 469. 



Gen. Char. Tarsus equal to or not longer than the middle toe, which is decidedly 

 longer than the hinder one. Bill wider at base than half the culmen. Tail broad, long, 

 even, or slightly rounded, al)out equal to the w' ings, which scarcely reach the middle of the 

 tail ; the first i)rimary shorter than th(^ sixth. Head with elongated lanceolate distinct 

 feathers. Above brownish-olive, throat ash, belly yellow. Tail and wing feathers varied 

 with rufous. 



This genus is well marked among the American Flycatchers, and consti- 

 tutes what Bonaparte called JJltimi Tifrannorinn mr Tj/rahnularum jirimcr. 

 The type is the Mioicicajxt fcrox of Clmelin, {M. fi/ranuulus,) which, as identi- 

 fied by Cabanis and Pmrmeister as above, appears to resemble our species 

 very closely. 



For an elaborate discussion of the various forms of this e.xceedimxlv ditfi- 



VOL. n. 42 



