TYRANNIDiE— TUE TYRANT FLYCATCHERS. 



343 



more elongated, less depressed, the outlines straigliter, while there 

 are various other diiferences. Upon the whole, the genus may be 

 considered quite a natural group. 



The species vary among themselves not only in colors, but in 

 other respects also, each one having its own pecuharities of external 

 form, so that were all identical in coloration they could even then be 

 readily distinguished. Attempts have been made to subdivide the 

 genus, but all have proved unsatisfactory. There is, truly, a vast dif- 

 ference in size and form between the robust, almost gigantic, T. magni- 

 rostris, and the little T. aurantio-atrocristatus; but as other species are 

 variously intermediate, it seems best to consider the variations of 

 form and size in this genus as of mainly specific importance. 



The single eastern species and two westei-n ones Avhich may be 

 expected to occur in Illinois differ from one another as follows : 



A. Lower parts -white, upper parts blackish. 



1. T. tyrannus. Wings blaeli, feathers margined with white. Tail black, sharply 

 tipped with white. 



B. Lower parts yellow, ashy anteriorly; upper parts ashy olive. 



2. T. vertioalia. Wings brownish dusky, feathers indistinctly edged with paler. 

 Tail deep black, the outer webs of lateral feathers pure white, in abrupt contrast. 

 Throat and jugulum pale ashy-gray. 



3. T. vociferans. Wings light brownish gray, the feathers with paler edges. Tail 

 dull black, the tip dull grayish, as are also the outer webs of the lateral feathers. 

 Throat and jugulum deep slate-gray. 



Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.) 



KINGBIRD. 



Popular synonyms. Bee Bird; Bee Martin. 

 Lanius tyrannus Linn. S. N. ed. 1, 1758,94; ed. 12.1.1766.136. 

 Muscicapa tyrannus WiLS. Am. Orn. i,1808, 66.pl. IS.flg. I.— Nutt. Man. 1, 1832, 265.- 

 AUD. Orn. Biog. i, 1840, 453; v. 1842, 420, pi. 79; Synop. 1839,40; B. Am. 1,1839,204, pi. 56. 

 Tyrannus tyrannus JoKD. Man. Vert. ed. 4,1884,96. 

 Lanius tyrannus, var. y, carolinensis Gmel. S. N. 1,1788,302. 

 Tyrannus carolinensis Temm. Tabl. Meth. 1836, 24.— Baikd. B. N. Am. 1858, 171; Cat. 

 N. Am. B. 1859,No. 124.— CouEs, Key,1872,169; Check List, 1874, No. 242; 2d ed. 1882. 

 No. 308; B. N. W. 1874, 235.— B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. ii, 1874, 316, pi. 43, fig. 4.— 

 EiDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 304. 

 Hab. Eastern North America, north to 57° in the interior, west, regularly, to and in- 

 cluding the Kocky Mountains, and irregularly to the Pacific coast, especially along 

 northern boundary of the United States; in winter, the whole of Middle America, and 

 south to Peru and Bolivia; Cuba and Baham.as. 



"Sp. Char. Adult. Above black, becoming plumbeous on the back, scapulars, and 

 rump: large wing-coverts and remiges edged with whitish; upper tail-coverts bordered 

 with white, and tail broadly tipped with the same. Below pure white, strongly shaded 

 with ash-gray across the jugulum . Middle of the crown witb a concealed patch of bright 

 orange-red. Toung. Above dusky brownish-slato, the wing-coverts bordered with pale 



