TYUAXNID.E — TIIK FLVCATCllEUrf. 



368 



There are few species of North American birds more <liHicult to di.^tin- 

 giiisli than the small Flyeatcliers, tlu* characters, tii(»iigh constant, beiug very 

 slight and almost inai»i»reci.ilth', except to a very acute o]»server. 



The ibllowing synoi)sis may aid in distinguishing the species : — 



Species and Varieties. 



A* hiMLT \V('l)s of sec( iiidariL'S cilgt'il with [)inki.sli-buir. 



a. Olivf-Urowii ;i1k)V(', wliiiish lionejilh; tibiit' ochniceous. 



E. brunueus.' Thiid (luill longfst, lirst otjual to seventh ; laU slightly 

 rouiitlr<|. liusset-olive ahove, the crown, wings, and tail with a lud- 

 dish-brown linu:e ; a vcllowish-'Tav shade across the breast, and a laint 

 sulphnr-yellow tinge to posterior lower parts, Wing-ltands broad, 

 gliarply ih'finetl, deep oehraeeons ; linhig of wing ami til»ia' slightly 

 tinged with the same. Wing, '2.'.'>') ; tail, 'J.oU ; bill, .."37 and .'27 ; tarsus, 

 .50; niiiMle toe, .o.'>. II<ib. Parana. 



E. azillariB.' Third f[uill long«'st. first equal to seventh ; tail ? Dark 

 grayish-browr. above, nearly uniform, breast oehrae('f)Us-olive; a just 

 appreciable tinge of sul})hur-yellow on abdoin^Mi. Wing-bands narrow, 

 badly defined, in color nearly like tin; back ; lining of the wing and 

 tibia' very deep ochraeeous. Wing, 2.40; tail. 'J,.">0: bill, .60 and .30; 

 tarsus, .60; middle toe, .4.'>, Il.vn. (Jrizaba. 



b. 01iv('-gri'(Mi above, y-'llow Ix'ueath : tibia; grei'uish. 



E. flavescens.^ Third, or third and fourth (piills longi-st; first eipial to 

 eighth. Tail decidedly emarginated. Intense greenish-olive above, the 

 crown with a decided russet tinge; beneath bright lemon-yellow, with 

 a shade of fulvous-brown across the breast. Wing, 2..'Jti to 'J. 70 ; tail, 

 2.20 to 2.40; bill, .59 and .30 ; tariius, .00 ; middle toe, .35. Hub. Costa 

 Rica. 



E. bairdi.* Fourth quill longest, fi:-st shorter than eighth. Tail slightly 

 emarginated. Dull greenish-olive above, nearly uniform ; beneath 

 clear sulphur-yellow, with a greenish-olive sh"de across the breast. 

 Wing, 2.00; tail, 2.50; bill, .02 and .21); tarsus, .05; middle toe, .35. 

 JIdh. Eastern Mexico (MnjAnou). 

 B* Inner webs of secondaries edged with yellowish or grayish white, 

 a. Olive-green above, yellowish beneath. 



§. Young not moftJed above. 



E. flaviventris. Bill broad, twice as wide as deep, and the cnlinon 

 less than twice the breadth. Outer web of lateral tail-feather dusky, 

 like the inner. Wing-bands narrow, whitish. Tail s(piare. 



Clear olive-green above, sulphur-yellow beneath; wing-bands 

 sulphur-yellowish ; lining of wing dear sulphury-yellow. Wing, 



1 Eiiipidonax hrunneus, IIidgwav. A very distinct species, not needing comparison with any 

 other. 



2 Er.ipidonax axilla r is, Rinoww. 



^ Einpifhmax Jtarcsoms, Lawk. Maybe the southern form of hairdi, but ditfer in some ap- 

 parently es.sential features. 



* Empidonax bairdi, Sciatei:, P. Z. S. 1858, 801 ; Ibis, IS'.O, 442: Catal. Am. B. 1862, 

 230. — ScLATLU & Salvi.s, Ibis, 18tiO, 30. {Hah. Cordova, Coban, ^lazatlan, Mirador, etc.) 



