How to Name the Birds 205 



unfailing means of ascertaining the identity of its subject. But as a pre- 

 liminary to the attempt to name one of the species of passerine land-birds 

 of eastern North America let us, as suggested above, try to learn something 

 of the eighteen families they represent. 



ORDER PASSERES 

 Family i. Flycatchers. Tyrannidce . lo species. 



Range. — A distinctively American family numbering nearly 400 species, 

 v^^hich, during the summer, are distributed from Alaska and Labrador to 

 Patagonia, one species being resident in the Galapagos. Of the ten 

 species found east of the Mississippi only one, the Phoebe, occurs during 

 the winter, v^^hen it ranges from the Carolinas southward. 



Season North of Virginia. — The Phoebe, which has just been spoken 

 of as the only Flycatcher to winter in the eastern United States, reaches 

 the vicinity of New York city the latter part of March and remains until 

 the latter part of October. It is followed in the spring by the Least 

 Flycatcher, which comes the latter part of April, and is preceded in the 

 fall by the Wood Pewee, which remains until October i. With the 

 exception of the Phoebe, then. Flycatchers are present in the latitude of 

 New York city only from about April 26 to October i. 



Color. — The prevailing color of Flycatchers is olive-green or gray above, 

 whitish or olivaceous below, the sexes usually being alike. There are 

 numerous marked exceptions to this style of coloration among tropical 

 forms, but our ten species conform to the general rule in being olive-green 

 or gray above, white or olivaceous, or in some instances strongly sufiused 

 with yellowish below. These colors are distributed in large masses, there 

 being no streaks or spots, the white terminal band on the Kingbird's 

 tail and its concealed orange-red crest being the most striking markings. 



Size. — Flycatchers vary in length from about 3 to 16 inches in the Scissor- 

 tail ; our species fall between these extremes, the smallest, the Least Fly- 

 catcher, averaging slightly less than 5/2 inches in length; the largest, 

 the Crested Flycatcher, averaging 9 inches in length. Though half an 

 inch shorter, the Kingbird is probably heavier than the Crested Flycatcher. 



External Structure. — The most noticeable and characteristic external 

 feature of Flycatchers is a broad, flat bill, hoiked at the tip, and wider than 

 high at the base, where it is more or less thickly beset with outward 

 projecting bristles. The tail is square or slightly notched, the wings rather 

 pointed, the second to the fourth primaries being the longest; the feathers 

 of the crown are somewhat lengthened, forming, when raised, a small 

 crest; the tarsus is rounded behind as well as in front. 



Appearance and Habits. — Flycatchers in life sit erect, often with the 

 crest slightly raised, giving to them a certain look of big-headedness which 



