BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 187 



much shorter than second, third and fourth, which are about equal ; tarsus a little 

 longer than middle toe ; plumage above brownish-olive, throat bluish-ash ; belly 

 white, inner webs of tail feathers decidedly rufous. 



Genus, Sayornis : Head moderately crested ; wings slightly pointed ; third quill 

 longest, second, fourth and fifth nearly equal ; and first shorter than sixth ; tail 

 slightly forked. Tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe which is but little longer 

 than hind toe. Plumage above brownish, darkest on head, below whitish, but in 

 fall and winter lower parts are frequently quite yellowish. 



Gemis, Contopus : Head slightly crested ; wings longer than the slightly forked 

 tail and pointed ; the first primary about as long as fourth ; the wings are much 

 longer than tail ; tarsus short and stout ; is a little longer than hind toe and scarcely 

 as long as middle toe and claw. Plumage above olive brown, yellowish below with 

 darkish patches on sides of breast. 



Genus j Empidonax : Head slightly crested ; wings rather rounded and not much 

 longer than the nearly even tail ; second, third and fourth quills about equal, form 

 point of wing ; first quill much shorter than fourth ; tarsus longer than middle toe 

 and claw, which is also decidedly longer than hind toe. Plumage greenish-brown 

 above, more or less yellowish below and generally grayish on throat. 



GENUS TYRANNUS OUVIER. 

 Tyrannus tyrannus (LiNN.). 



Kingbird; Beebird. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 24}. 



' ' Length about 8 inches ; extent about 14| inches ; above blackish-ash ; top of head 

 quite black ; crown with a concealed patch of orange red ; lower parts pure white, 

 tinged with pale bluish-ash on the sides of the throat and across the breast ; sides of 

 breast and under the wings similar to, but rather lighter than the back ; axillaries 

 pale grayish-brown tipped with lighter ; the wings dark-brown, darkest toward the 

 end of the quills ; the greater coverts and quills edged with white, most so on the 

 tertials ; the lesser coverts edged with paler ; upper tail-coverts and upper surface of 

 the tail glossy black, the latter very dark brown beneath ; all the featbers tipped, 

 and the exterior margined externally with white, forming a conspicuous terminal 

 band about .25 of an inch broad. 



Young. Very similar but colors generally duller; the concealed colored patch on 

 the crown wanting ; the tail and wings in some specimens often edged with rusty." 



Habitat. Eastern North America, from British Provinces south to Central and 

 South America. Rare west of the Rocky mountains (Utah, Nevada, Washington 

 Territory, etc.). 



This well known bird is a common summer resident in Pennsylvania, 

 where it arrives usually about the 25th of April. The males precede the 

 females in their arrival by some three or four days. These birds gener- 

 ally, I think, migrate singly ; I have never observed them in the spring 

 in small flocks. During the month of February and until the 20th of 

 March, 1885, 1 saw no Kingbirds in various localities along the St. John's 

 river, Florida, but from the 20th of March and until quite late in April 

 these birds (in that state called Field Martins) were of ten times met with. 



The technical name tyrannus given to the subject of this present 

 sketch is particularly appropriate, as this bird during the breeding sea- 

 son is ever on the alert, and seemingly anxious to attack his feathered 



