124 



VERTEBKATA. 



whirhisdooply f<>rkf<l. iiikI inort' tliaiitwi.f tlir Iciitxth of thohod}' ; tlic back is ash-p^ray, the 111111]) 

 l.luish-Mark, wimrs aii<i tail lirowiiisli-l'lark, lower parts white; luiin.l in the Southern States. 



Tlie SwALUiw-TAii.Ki) Vi.y-Catcukh, M. forjicaia, is clev<'ii iiiehes long, tlie tail long and 

 forked ; iiiiper parts gray, lower parts white before and rose-colored behind. Otlier species are 

 named as fouiitl in Texas, as follows: M. Soi/a, M. Tcxcnsis, M. Luunnt/i, M.fuh'//ro7is, M. 

 Utr/iaini, .)f. /»//i, Af. /iiictmiu.s, Af. Jirasi<'ri,M. rvhifrons. 



Gniii.s r 111.* >(;{)NVS : J'tifot/onijs. — This includes Townsend's 1'tilogonys, P. Townsendi, 

 combining somewliat the qualities of the Fly-Catchers and Thrushes; it is eight inches long, of a 

 dull brownish-grav color, and is found on tlie Columbia River: also the Black Fly-Catciier, P. 

 iiitciis^ fii;ured bv Cassin, seven and a lialf inches long, of a glossy black color, with greenish re- 

 llectit>ns; found in California, Mexico, Arc: the Pipiky Fly-Catcher, P. dominicensis, cio-ht 

 inches long, and resembling the kingbird; found in Florida. 



Ocuus CULICIVORA : CuUcivora. — This includes the Blue-gray Fly-Catcher or Gnat- 

 Catciieu, C. canilea, about five ii.ches long, and found abundantly in Texas. 



Gniits FLUVICOLA : Flancola. — This includes several South American species, as the F. co- 

 inata, F. iii</rrrinia, tVc. 



Genus MUSCIPETA : Muscipcta. — This includes the King of the Fly-Catciiers, the Todvx 

 rectus of Latham, a superb South American species, with a tall transverse crest of reddish-fawn 

 feathers; the body is a deep brown, the breast white spotted with brown. (See p. 123.) 



Genus TCIIITREA : Tchifrea.—Thk includes the Paradise Fly-Catcher of India, T. Para- 

 disic found in the jungles of India, and 

 though its body is but six inches long, has 

 a tail fourteen inches long ; its head is 

 also adorned with a crest. 



There are many other species analogous 

 to these we have described in Africa, 

 Asia, and Australia, some having pleasing 

 songs and some only chirping notes. 



Genus ICTERIA: Ich'ria.—Th\s in- 

 cludes the Yellow-breasted Chat, /. vir- 

 idis, seven inclies long, greenish-olive above ; 

 throat and breast yellow; known as a sum- 

 mer visitor throughout the United States, 

 and remarkable for the oddity of its mo- 

 tions and its singular notes, which some- 

 times resemble the cries of young puppies 

 and sometimes the mewing of a cat, these 

 being often prolonged into the night. 



THE TITYRIN^E OR BECARDS. 



This is a small group of birds, closely 

 allied to the fly-catchers, and peculiar to 

 South America and the West Indies. 

 They have a short bill, broad at the base, 

 and suddenly compressed toward the tip. 

 The Gray Becard — the Cayenne Shrike 

 of Latham — Psnris Cayennensis — the type 

 of Cuvier's genus Psaris — is generally 

 gray, with the head, wings, and tail, black ; 

 it is found in Guiana. 



The genus Lanyrarjen or Ocypteriis^ 

 consisting of species found in the Asiatic Isles, as well as the genus Artamia, the various species 

 of which are confined to the island of Sumatra, are placed bv Le Maout contiguous to the Becards. 



THE SAVANNAU FLY-CATCHER. 



