TYRANNID-E — THE TYRANT FLYCATCHERS. 349 



"The young of the year have the upper parts shghtly tinged with 

 ferruginous ; two broad (ferruginous) bands on the wings formed 

 by the tips of the fii-st and second coverts. The quills and tail 

 rather darker than in adult specimen. 



"Autumnal specimens are simply more deeply colored than spring 

 examples, the plumage softer and more blended." (Hist. N. Am. B.) 



According to Mr. Nelson (BiiU. Essex Inst. Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 113), 

 "Two specimens of this species are registered in the catalogue of 

 birds in the Museum of the Northwestern University, at Evanston, 

 from 'West Northfield, Illinois, collected by R. Kennicott.' These 

 specimens are not in the collection at present. Dr. Hoy has also 

 taken it in Wisconsin." 



Genus CONTOPUS Cabanis. 



Contopus Cabanis, Journ. fur Ornith. iii.Nov. 18S5, 479. Type Muscicapa virens Linn. 

 "Gen Char. Tarsus very short, but stout; less than the middle toe and scarcely 

 longer than the hinder; considerably less than the culmen. Bill quite broad at the base; 

 wider than the culmen. Tail moderately forked. Wings very short and much pointed, 

 reaching beyond the middle of tail; the first primary about equal to the fourth. All the 

 primaries slender and rather acute, but not attenuated. Head moderately crested. 

 Color olive above, pale yellowish beneath, with a darker patch on the sides of the breast. 

 Under tail-coverts streaked in most species. A tuft of cottony white feathers on each 

 side of the rump (concealed in most species). 



"This genus is pre-eminently characterized among North Amer- 

 ican Flycatchers by the very short tarsi and the long and much 

 pointed wings. 



"In most other genera as Sayornis, Myiarchus and Empidonax, a 

 trace of cottony tuft may be discovered by careful search on the 

 flanks ; but in the present genus, there is, in addition, the tufts on 

 the rump, not found in the others." {Hist. N. Am. B.) 



Of the four known North American species only two have not been 

 recorded from the region east of the Mississippi River. One of 

 them (C. pertinax Cab.) occurs only along the southern border in 

 Arizona, and therefore cannot reasonably be expected ; another, how- 

 ever (C. richardsonii Swains.), is of very general distribution through- 

 out the west, and may very possibly sometimes stray east of the 

 Missouri River. This species is therefore included in the synopsis 

 along with the two which properly belong there. 



A. Size large (wing 3.90 or more); side of rump with a conspicuous tuft of white cot- 

 tony feathers. 

 1. C. borealis. Above brownish slaty darker on the head; beneath white medially, 

 dark grayish, in marked contrast, UiteraUy. Wing, 3.90-4.50; ta,il, 2.90-3.50. ' 



