, TYRANNIDJfi — THE FLYCATCHKUS. ;J37 



ures .00 by .7') of an iiicli. These well represent the two extremes. Thuir 

 averaj'e is Jibout I inch hv .7r> ot" an inch. 



The eggs of all the members of this genus have a remarkable similarity, 

 and can scarcely be mistaken for tho.se of any other group 



Msriarchus crinitus, var. cinerascens, L.vwr. 



ASH'THBOATED FLTCATCHEB. 



Tyrannula cinerascciis, Lawhentk, Ann. N. Y. Lye. N. Hist. V, Sipt. 1S51, 109. 3///- 

 Uirchus ciiicrascnis, 8('L. List, ISGJ, 133.— In. T. Z. S. Ib71, b4. — CoUKs, l*r. A. 

 N. S. July, lS7ii, Oy. MijUirchiis mcxicaiius, Baiud, IJirds N. Am. IboS, 17U, pi. 5. 

 — Hkkum. X, .S', 37, i»l. V. — Crxn'KU, Orn. Cal. 1, 1»70, 310. MijUtrchus iiicxicanuSj 

 var. pcrtintij; l»Ainis P. A. N. S. lSij9, 3U3 (Cai>e hi. Luciis). 



Sp. Char. Bill Uluck, the width opposite the nostrils not half the length of oulinen. 

 Head crested. Tail even, the lateral feathers slightly shorter. Second, thiid, and louiih 

 qnills longest; first ratluT shorter than the seventh. Above dull grayish-olive; the 

 centres of the feathers rather darker; the crown, rump, and upi)er tail-coverts tinged 

 with brownish. The forehead and sid«'s of the head and neck grayish-ash ; the chin, 

 throat, and forepart of the breast ashy-white; the middle of the breast white; the rest 

 of the under parts very pale sulj)hur-y«'llow ; wings anil tail brown. Two bands across 

 the wing, with outer edges of secondaries an<l tertials, dull white ; the outer edges t)f the 

 primaries light chestnut-brown (except towards the tip and on the outer feathei) ; the 

 inner edges tinged with the same. Whole of middle tail-feathers, with the outer webs 

 (only) and the ends of the others brown; the rest of the inner webs reddish-chestnut, 

 the outer web of exterior feather yellowish-white. Legs and bill black ; lower mandible 

 brownish at the base. Length about 8.00 ; wing, 4.00 ; tail, 4.10; tarsus, .00. 



Hab. Coast of California, to Cape St. Lucas, and across by the valley of Gila an<l Rio 

 Grande to Northeastern Mexico. Seen as far north in Texas as San Antonio. Oaxaca 

 (Scr.. 1859, 384) ; ? Guatemala (Scl. Ibis, I, 12'J) : Vera Cruz hot regions, resident (Sum. 

 M. liost. Soc. I) ; San Antonio, Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 18G5, 473). 



In a young specimen the crown is more tinged witli ln'own ; the upper 

 tail-coverts and the middle tail-feathers are chestnut, and, in fact, all the 

 tail-feathers are of this color, except along Ijoth sides of the shaft on the 

 central feathers, and along its outer side in the lateral ones. 



This species is easily distinguished from T. crinitua and T. coopcri by 

 the brown tij^ of the tail ; the colors paler than in the former, bill slenderer, 

 and tai-si longer. 



A variety of this species (perfinarr^) is found at Cape St. Lucas, and dis- 

 tinguislied chiefly by the consideraldy larger and stouter bill. 



Habits. The Ash-throated or Mexican Flycatcher appears to be a com- 

 mon species, from San Antonio, Texas, its extreme northeastern point, south- 

 westerly throughout Mexico as far south as Guatemala, and westward to 

 the Pacific coast. It has been obtained in various parts of California 

 by Mr. Cutts, Mr. Schott, Dr. Heermann, and others, as also on the Gila 



* Myiarchus nicxiavnis, var. pert iiuur, Baird, Pr. Phil. Acad. 1859, 303. 

 VOL. ir. 



