344 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Sayomis nii;r icons. 



I, 248. Muscicapa carolinensU fusca, BuissON, Oni. II, 1760, 367. Bhuk-hcaded 

 Fhjcatclicr, Pennant, Arc. Zoul. 11, y»l», 269. BlucL-atp Fl-icatdier, Latham, Sy- 

 noi>sis, I, 353. Empidids fuscus, Caban. M. H. II, St-jit. 1S59, 69 (ty|K'). — ScL. 

 Catal. I5i6'2, 234. Stiifoniis fuscus, liAiKD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 184. — Samukls, 133. 

 — Allkn, n. Flu. 1871, 299. 



Sp. CiiAR. Sidvs of breast and upper parts dull olive-brown, fading slijrhtly towards 



the tail. Top and sides of head daik brown. 

 A few dnll white feathers on the eyelids. 

 Lower parts dull yellowisii-Avhitc, mixed 

 with brown on the chin, and in some indi- 

 viduals a( ross the l)reast. Quills l)rown, the 

 outer primary, secondaries, and tertials 

 edired with dull white. In some individuals 

 the p-reater coverts faintly edired with dull 

 white. Tail brown ; outer edge of lateral 

 feather dull white : outer edges of the rest 

 like the back. Tibiie brown. Bill and feet 

 black. Bill slender, edges nearly straight. 

 Tail rather broad and slightly forked. 

 Third quill longest ; second and fomth 



nearly equal : the first shorter than sixth. Length, 7 iuches ; wing, 3.42 ; tai^ 3.30. 

 Hab. Eastern North America ; Eastern Mexico to Mirador and Orizaba. Cuba (Caban. 



J. IV, 1); Xalapa, (.^cl. List, 234): Vera Cruz, winter (Si-miciirast, M. B. S. I, 057); 



San Antonio, Texas (Dresser, Ibis, ISito, 773, rare). 



Tn autumn, and occasionally in early sj)ring, the colors are much clearer 

 and brighter. Whole lowei parts sometimes l)ri!Li;ht sulj)hur-ycllov' ; above, 

 greenish-olive ; toj) and sides of the head tinged with .'?ooty. In the young 

 of the year the colors are much duller ; all tlie wing-coverts broadly tij)ped 

 with li^ht ferruiiinous, as also the extreme ends of the winus and tail- 

 featliers. The brown is prevalent on the whole throat and breast ; the hind 

 part of tlie back, rump, and tail strongly ferruginous. 



Hahits. The Pewee, or IMncbe-Bird, a well-known harbinger of early 

 spring, is a common species throughout the whole of eastern North Amer- 

 ica, from the Kio (Irande, on the southwest, to the provinces of Xova Scotia 

 and New Brunsw ick on the northeast, and as far west as the Mi.ssouri Kiver. 



Dr. AVoodhouse found it common both throughout Texas ami in the In- 

 dian Territory. It was taken 1»v Sumiclirast in the Department of Vera 

 Cruz, l)ut he was in doubt whether it occurs there as a resident or is only 

 miiiratorf. It was observed at San Antonio, Texjis, but onlv as a miiirant, 

 by both Dresser and Heermann ; but at Houston, in that State, it evidently 

 remains and breeds, as individuals were seen there in June l>v Dresser. 

 Specimens were taken in February at Brownsville, Texas, by Lieutenant 

 Couch, and afterwanls in March on tlie opposite side of the river, — in 

 Tamaidipas, Mexico. 



In South Caridina, Dr. Coues found tliese birds most common in the 

 months of J'ebruary and ^larch, and again in (^ct(d»er and November. He 

 had no doubt that some remain and pass the winter, and that others are 



