TYKANNID.K IIIK FLVCATCUKKS. 



341 



Sp. Char. WIiil'-s nMindcd ; sj-conil, third, uml fourth h^iij^est; first rather shorter 

 than sixtiu Tarsi with a M't.oiul row 



of M.'al«'s ImIiIikK The hi-ad and 

 neck all round, forepart and sides of 

 the hrejvst, dark >ooty-bro\vn ; the 

 rest of the upjur parts similar, out 

 n«rhter ; faintly tinired with lead-color 

 towards the tail. The middle of the 

 hreast, ahdoinen, and lower tail- 

 coverts w hite ; some of tiie latter, 

 with the shafts and the eentie, brown. 

 Till' lower win^-eovert.-- ^'rayish- 

 hrown, edired with white. Wintra 

 dark brown ; the edjres of sccontlary 

 coverts rather lighter; of primary 

 coverts dull white. Edge of the 

 exterior vane of the first primary and 

 of secondaries white. Tail dark 



Snyurnis nie^leani. 



brown, with the greater part of the outer vane of the exterior tail-feather white ; this 

 color narrowing from the base to the tip. Bill and feet black. The tail rounded, rather 

 cmarginate ; feathers broad ; more obliquely truncate than in sayns. The bill slender ; 

 similar to that of S./f(sriis. Length, nearly 7 inches; wing, 3. GO; tail, 3.4o. 



Had. California coast (I'mpcjua Valley, Oregon, Newberry), and across by valley of 

 Gila and Upper Ilio Grantle to New Leon, and south; Mazatlan. Oaxaca (Scl. 1859, 

 383) ; Cordova (Scl. \8')(\ 20G) ; Vera Cruz, temj). and alp. regions, breeding (Sum. M. B. 

 Soc. T, .V)7) ; W.* Arizona (Coles, P. A. N. S., 18GG, CO). 



The female appears to differ only in the smaller size. A yonnjr bird from 

 San Francisco has two bands of rusty on the wing ; the shoulders and 

 hinder part of the back tinged with the same. 



• II.viiiTs. Within our limits tlie Black Flycatcher has a distribution very 

 nearly corresponding with that of Mi/iarchus chicrascnis. It is found from 

 Oregon and California on the Pacific coast, to the valley of the Kio Grande, 

 and thence south throughout ^lexico. It also occurs as a resident in Guate- 

 mala. Specimens in the Smithsonian Museum are from various parts of 

 Mexico, from Xew Mexico, and California. 



During his exph)rations in Northern Mexico, Lieutenant Couch first met 

 M'itli this s})ecies at Cadereita, Mexico, in April, occurring in abundance under 

 the high banks of the stream which supplies the t( vii with water. Its habits 

 api>eared to him to l)e much the same with those of the common Phrebe-Bird 

 {Sin/oniis fuscm). Its nest was supposed to be in the bank. Dr. Kennerly, 

 who found it at Espia, Mexico, could not observe any difference in the habits 

 from those of the Pjfrocfphalus rnhineus. They were both observed in the 

 same vicinity, feeding alike on insects and having the same movements. 



In the Department of Vera Cruz, Mr. Sumichrast says that this species is 

 known by the common name of Aguador. It is very common in both the 

 temperate and the colder regions of that State. It nests within the dwell- 

 ing-houses in the city of Orizaba. 



