170 MYIARCHUS CR1NITVS. 



GENUS I. MYIA11CHUS. THE CRESTED FLYCATCHERS. 



GEN. Cn. Bill, about as lony as the head, which is crested, but without a Mr/lit central patch of feathers. Outer 

 yuills, not incised. Tail, slightly rounded. height of keel, less t/ian one half the length of the coracoids. Upper outline 

 ofmanubrium, viewed from the side, straight for one third the length then any led obliquely downward. Marginal indenta- 

 tions, narrow andshallow. Broncho-trachealis anticus and posticus present , also traces of bronchialis anticus. 



The colors above are dull, but there is more or less yellow below. I have placed this genus nearest the Section Oscines 

 partly on account of the similarity of the stsrnil charactars but m jre particularly on account of the developement of the 

 laryngeal muscles which exceed those of any species in this Section that have come under my notice. 



MYIARCHUS CRINITUS. 



Great Crested Flycatcher. 



Myiarchus crinitus CABANIS, Jour, fur Ornith. Ill; 1855, 479. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, rather robust. Size, large. Sternum, as given above. Feathers of the crest, long but rounded at the 

 tip. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, olivaceous-green with the feathers of the top of the head showing darker centers. Upper 

 tail coverts and tail, dull-cinnamon, tinged with greenish, with the inner webs of the feathers of the latter, excepting a nar- 

 row margin next the shaft, bright-cinnamon. Wings, including coverts, dark-brown, with the tips of the latter, forming 

 bars, and the edges of the scapularies and secondaries, pale-yellow, while the outer edge of the basal portions of the primaries 

 are bright-cinnamon, and the inner webs of all the longer feathers are edged with pale-cinnamon. Throat and upper 

 breast, dark-ash. Remainder of upper parts, including under wing and tail coverts, lemon-yellow. Bill, brown. Feet, 

 black. 



Young. Differ from the adult in having the bars on the wings less clearly defined, in being darker above, and in hav- 

 ing greenish on the anterior portions of the sides. The cinnamon is also darker. 



Young of the year. Color above, inclined to be reddish, the bars on the wings are clearly defined, but the whitish is 

 replaced by pale-cinnamon and the edgings show very little yellow. The outer webs of the tail feathers are lighter cinna- 

 mon, the throat is lighter, and the yellow of the breast encroaches upon the dusky. 



Nestlings. The top of the head is overwashed with pale-cinnanon. Beneath, very pale with the yellow encroaching 

 upon the breast considerably. Sexes, similar in ail .stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Occasionally there will be indications of narrow cinnamon edgings to the feathers of the crest, this being especially 

 observable in Florida specimens. Birds from this latter named section are also darker than the more northern skins other- 

 wise they are quite similar m coloration, but the bill is almost always longer and the curved point of the upper mandible is 

 more elongated; they do not differ in size, however. Distributed in summer throughout Eastern North America from Mid- 

 dle Maine to Southern Florida, wintering on the Keys and in the West Indies. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of thirteen specimens. Length, 8'8#; stretch, 13'30; wing,4'15; tail, 3'75; bill, '80; tarsus, -81. 

 Longest specimen, 9'20; greatest extent of wing, 13'60; longest wing, 4'35; tail, 4MtO; bill, '92; tarsus, '90. Shortest 

 specimen, 8'50; smallest extent of wing, 13'0(); shortest wing, 4 - 00; tail, 3'50; bill, '70; tarsus, '77. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in holes of trees, composed of grass and fine weeds with an occasional cast-off skin of a snake. Dimen- 

 sions, external diameter, 4MK), internal, 2 - 50. External depth, 2 4 00, internal, TOO. 



Eggs, four to five in number, rather elliptical in form, buff in color, streaked and lined with brown and lilac. The 

 markings are usually placed longitudinally and give the eggs a peculiar appearance rendering them at once distinguishable. 

 Dimensions from '80 x'65 to '85 x '70. 



HABITS. 



There are few birds, even among the most melodious of the Oscines, that render 

 themselves more conspicuous by their voices than the Great Crested Flycatchers. It is true 



