CHAPTER VI. 



THE PERCHING BIRDS, concluded. 



Families TYRANNID^E to MENURID^E. 



THE AMERICAN FLYCATCHERS. 



THE members of the Passerine order described in the four preceding chapters 

 are characterised by having the muscles of the syrinx, or organ of voice, 

 attached to the ends of the half-rings of cartilage forming the windpipe ; such 

 muscles being generally of a very complex type. Hence these birds are termed 

 the Acromyodi. Those remaining for consideration have, on the other hand, 

 these muscles, which are simple and frequently consist of only a single pair, 

 attached to the middle of the half-rings of the windpipe ; and they are accordingly 

 known as the Mesomyodi. Since none of them possess the high vocal powers of 

 the first group, they are frequently spoken of as the songless perching birds. As 

 their name implies, the members of the first family of this group are exclusively 

 confined to the New World, where they are represented by upwards of four 

 hundred species, the majority of which are South American. Insectivorous in 

 their habits, the typical members of the family have the beak broadest at the base, 

 from whence it tapers to a fine point, the upper mandible being slightly notched ; 

 while the nostrils are basal, and overhung, although not concealed, by bristles. 

 The wing has ten primaries ; and the tail, which is generally nearly even, although 

 sometimes forked, is composed of twelve feathers. The metatarsus is relatively 

 short, and the foot weak. The range of these birds extends from the Arctic region 

 to Tierra-del-Fuego. 



Tyrant- The king-bird, or bee-martin (Tyrannus carolinensis), is well 



Flycatchers, known in the United States for the audacity with which it attacks 

 crows, owls, and hawks, and drives them away from the neighbourhood of its nest ; 

 and we have heard of a party of king-birds harassing a swallow-tailed kite, which 

 eventually struck down one of its tormentors before it sailed away. The king- 

 bird builds a conspicuous nest, usually choosing an isolated tree, often in an 

 exposed situation ; the nest being constructed of vegetable fibres and twigs, lined 

 with horsehair, fine roots, and grasses. The eggs are rosy white in ground-colour, 

 spotted and blotched with purple and reddish brown. Not possessing a true song, 

 the king-bird merely utters a monotonous succession of twitterings. This species 

 owes its trivial name of "bee-bird" to its fondness for the honey-bee; Dr. Coues 

 stating that the king-bird destroys a thousand noxious insects for every bee it 

 eats. Feeding largely upon winged insects, its flight when in pursuit -of insects 



