30G NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



FAAriiT TYRANNIDJE.— Tyrant Flycatciikrs. 



PiiiMAiiv CiiAKACTKKS. rriiuiirii's toil. JJill in lyiiicil I'oniis ln-oad, triangular, niiidi 

 (icprcssfil, iibniplly (louiu-vcd and notclicd al lip, willi lung liristlcs aloiii;- jfapc. Tarsi willi 

 scuifiliv! extending rniind the outer face of tarsus from the Iront to baek ; .sonietimes 

 divided on llie outer side. Bill with eulineii nearly as long as the head, or .shorter; 

 siraiulit to near (he tip, Ijieii suddenly bent down into n eons])ienons hook, with a notch 

 lieiiiiid it; lip of lower Jaw also notehed. Coiiiinissure straiglit to near the notch ; gony;; 

 .•^iigiiliy convex. Noslriis oval or rounded, in the anterior extremity oC the nasal ;roove 

 and more or less conuealed by long bristles which extend I'roni the posterior angle of tlio 

 jaws along the base of the bill, becoming .smaller, but reaching nearly lo the median line 

 of the Ibrehead. These bristles with lateral branches at the base. Similar bristles are 

 mixed in the loral feathers and margin the chin. Tarsi short, generally less than middle 

 toe, completely envelojied by a series of large scales, which meet near the posterior edge 

 of the inner side, and are separated either by naked skin or by a row of small scales. 

 Sometimes a second series ol' rather lai-ge plates is seen on the ].osterior f:\<:c of the tarsus 

 these, however, nsually on the npjier extremity only. Basal joint of middU' toe iiniled 

 almost thronghont to that of the outer toe, l)iit more than half free on the inner .side • 

 outer lateral toe rather the longer. Wings and tail varialile; first qnill always more than 

 three fourths the second. The onter primaries sometimes attenuated near the tin. 



The primary characters given almve will servo to ilistiiiguisJi tlio Xorth 

 American I'l/rannidw i'roni their allies ; tlie essential features consisting in 

 tlie i)eciiliarity of tjie scales of the tarsus and the ten immaries. In the 

 t^l/lcimlidcv there are species as truly " ilycatching," and witli a depressed 

 bristly bill, bnt tiie nine (not ten) primaries, and the restriction of the .scales 

 to the anterior face of the tarsus, instead of extending entirely round the 

 outer side, will readily se])iirate them. 



The relationships of tlie Ti/nmiiiifa' are closest to the Cotinr/ida: These 

 last differ mainly in liaving the tai'sus more or less rcticidated, or covered in 

 part at least with small angular scah's, instead of continuous broad ones ; 

 and in the greater adhesion of the toes. Tlie logs are shorter, and the body 

 bro;i ler iind more depressed. Tlie bill is less abundantly jirovided witli 

 bristles, and tlie sjiecies do not appear to be strictly llycatcliers, feeding 

 more on berries and on stationary insects and larva^, rather than cai)turing 

 them on tlie wing. Two species of this family, Hiahodumns ajfini.'i^ and 

 Fach lira lit phi»< wajm-^ were introduced into tiie Birds of North America, 

 from specimens collected by Lieutenant Coucli in tiie valley of the Ifio 



1 irtidrostomus affinis. Flatjipmris affinis, Ki.r.iOT, Il.is, IS.'iO, 394, pi. xiii. rorlii/rompliv.i 

 aglaim, Baiki), liirds N. Am. 1858, \U, pi. xlvii, f. 1. — In. liop. M«x. Bound. II, Bird.s, 7, 

 pi. xix, f. 1. Htidroslomus aijlaia, Caiianis, Mas. Ilciii, II, 8.5 (Xalapa). — In. .lourii. 18(i], 

 2.V2. — ScLATEi!, p. 7,. S. ]8(i4, 17G (City Mex.). Hah. Northern Mexico, Jalaim, Nicaragua 

 (ScL. (Catalogue, p. 240) ; Yucatan (LawhknceK 



^ PachjimmpltKs major. JUithmidiinis mojor, ('An. Orn. Nat. 1847, I, 24(5. — Caii, ht Hein. 

 Mus. llpin. II, 89. — Baiki), Birds N. Am. 1858, Iti.';, pi. xlvii, f. 2 ?. — In. Rep. Mex. Bound. 

 II, Bird.s 7, ]il. xix, f. 2. r(ic/ii/rain/}/nis iiwjoi; ScLATEit, T. Z. S. 1857, 78 ; 1864, 176 (City 

 of Mex.). Ilab. Mexico and Guatemala. 



