264 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



closely in size, shape, and style of markings, and can not be positively dis- 

 tinguished from them; on the whole, however, they are not quite so heavily 

 marked, and the ground color is frequently more of a light cream tint than a 

 cream buff. 



The average measurement of seventy-seven eggs in the United States 

 National Museum collection is 22.35 by 17.53 millimetres, or 0.88 by 0.69 inch. 

 The largest egg of the series measures 23.88 by 18.29 millimetres, or 0.94 by 

 0.72 inch; the smallest, 19.81 by 17.02 millimetres, or 0.78 by 0.67 inch. 



The type specimens, Nos. 24939 and 25318 (PI. 2, Figs* 10 and 11), both 

 from sets of five eggs, Ralph collection, were taken near Brownsville, Texas, 

 the former on June 5, 1891, the latter on May 7, 1892, and represent the average 

 and lighter styles of coloration. 



97. Myiarchus mexicanus magister Ridgway. 



ARIZONA CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 



Myiarchus mexicanus magister Ridgway, Proceedings Biological Society, Washington, II, 

 April 10, 1884, 90. 



(B — , — , R — , C — , U 453a.) 



Geographical range: Western Mexico; north to southern Arizona and south- 

 western New Mexico; south in winter to Tehuan tepee, Mexico. 



The Arizona Crested Flycatcher is the largest representative of the genus 

 Myiarchus found within our borders, and its breeding range seems to be confined 

 mainly to the giant cactus belt of southern Arizona, where it appears to be a 

 rather irregular summer resident, not uncommon in some seasons and rare in 

 others. I failed to notice it while collecting in the vicinity of Tucson, in the 

 spring and summer of 1872, and Mr. Herbert Brown, who tried to secure the nest 

 and eggs for the United States National Museum, in 1893, was equally unsuccess- 

 ful, while Mr. F. Stephens reported them as rather common in the same locality 

 in the latter part of May and throughout June, 1881, securing over a dozen 

 specimens during the time. Mr. William Brewster, in a paper on "A Collection 

 of Arizona Birds," makes the following remarks on this subspecies: 



"The collector's notes (F. Stephens) relating to the habits of this Flycatcher 

 are disappointingly brief. It frequented low mesquites, and was tame and rather 

 noisy, having a variety of loud calls, some of which resembled those of Myiar- 

 chus cinerascens, while others were 'almost Thrasher-like.' Its food seemed to 

 consist largely of beetles. On June 27 a nest was found at Camp Lowell. ' Both 

 parents were distinctly seen and positively identified. The nest was in an old 

 Woodpecker's hole in a giant cactus, about 18 feet from the ground. It was 

 lined with soft, downy weed seeds, and contained two young just hatched and 

 an addled egg. 7 The egg, unfortunately, is so badly broken that accurate meas- 

 urements are impossible, but an approximation would be 1.04 by 0.74 inches. In 

 ground color and markings it closely resembles the eggs of Myiarchus crinitus, 



