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ARKANSAW FLYCATCHER. 
MuUuscIcAPA VERTICALIS, Bonap. 
PLATE CCCLIX. Mate anp FEMALE. 
Tuis species extends its range from the mouth of the Columbia 
River, across our continent, to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico; but 
how far north it may proceed is as yet unknown. On the 10th of 
April 1837, whilst on Cayo Island, in the Bay of Mexico, I found a 
specimen of this bird dead at the door of a deserted house, which had 
recently been occupied by some salt-makers. From its freshness I sup- 
posed that it had sought refuge in the house on the preceding evening, 
which had been very cold for the season. Birds of several other spe- 
cies we also found dead on the beaches. The individual thus met with 
was emaciated, probably in consequence of a long journey and scanty 
fare; but I was not the less pleased with it, as it afforded me the means 
of taking measurements of a species not previously described in full. 
In my possession are some remarkably fine skins, from Dr TownsEenn’s 
collection, which differ considerably from the figure given by Bona- 
rakTE, who first described the species. So nearly allied is it to the 
Green-crested Flycatcher, MW. crinita, that after finding the dead bird, 
my son and I, seeing many individuals of that species on the trees 
about the house mentioned, shot several of them, supposing them, to be 
the same. We are indebted to the lamented Tuomas Say for the in- 
troduction of the Arkansaw Flycatcher into our Fauna. Mr Nurtatu 
has supplied me with an account of its manners. 
‘We first met with this bold and querulous species, early in July, 
in the scanty woods which border the north-west branch of the Platte, 
within the range of the Rocky Mountains ; and from thence we saw 
them to the forests of the Columbia and the Wahlamet, as well as in 
all parts of Upper California, to latitude 32°. They are remarkably 
noisy and quarrelsome with each other, and in the time of incubation, 
like the King Bird, suffer nothing of the bird kind to approach them 
without exhibiting their predilection for battle and dispute. About 
the middle of June, in the dark swamped forests of the Wahlamet, we 
every day heard the discordant clicking warble of this bird, somewhat — 
