TYBANNID^—TYRANNIN^: TYRANT FLYUATCUEliS. 



435 



Fig 284. —Great Cresteii Flycatcher, 

 reduced. (Sber'piinl, del. Nichols t^c. ) 



the olive back, ash throat, and yelhiw belly severally pure in color; all tail-feath('rH but middle 

 pair BO extensively rufous on iuner webs that a mere line, if any, of fusc(jus persists next; 

 the shaft (compare erythrocercus and co02ieri), and this fuscous line, if any, i-uunnig (if same 

 narrowness to ends of the feathers (compare cinerescens) ; 

 never more than a trace of rufous on outer webs. Very 

 young birds have rufous skirthig of many feathers, in ad- 

 dition to the chestnut above described, but this soon dis- 

 appears. Large: length 8.00-9.00; exteut ahout 13.00; 

 wing and tail about -1.00 (:3.80-i.2O) ; bill 0.75-0.80; 

 tarsus 0.70-0.80 ; middle toe and claw 0.6.5-0.75 ; breadth 

 of bill at base 0.33-0.40, or about i the length of culmen. 

 Eastern U. S., west to Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and 

 Texas, N. to Massachusetts ; Mexico and Central Am. in 

 winter. An abundant bird, in woodland, of loud harsh 

 voice and quarrels(-iino disposition, noted for its habitual 

 use of cast-off snake-skins in the structure of its nest. 

 Nest in hollows (jf trees and similar retreats ; eggs unique 

 (outside this genus) in pattern : ground color buff or rich 

 clay-color, with numberless markings of purplish-chest- 

 nut, or purplish-chocolate, and others paler, sharp and 

 scratchy, mostly lengthwise, but especially at the butt 

 tangled up ; size about 0.85 X 0.62. Breeds throughout 

 its U. S. range, but entirely withdraws in winter. Locally 

 and irregularly distributed iu woodland. 



880. (in addenda.) M. c. coo'peri. (To Wm. Cooper.) Cooper's Lauoe-billed Ceested 

 Flycatcher. Distinguished in its extreme devebipment from crimtns by its rather greater 

 size, and especially the great size of the bill, which runs from 0.80 fully up. to 1.10 measured 

 along culmen, equalling or even exceeding in length the tarsi, which are themselves usually 0.10 

 longer than in crinitiis. The olivaceous is usually not so pure, and the yellow not so clear ; 

 but the chief difference is, that the inuer webs of the tail-feathers have a fuscous stripe i to 

 nearly i the width of the feather, as in erythrocercus; from which latter it differs mainly in the 

 greater size, especially of the bUl. Wings and tail 3.90-4.25 ; bill 0.80-1.00 ; tarsus 0.85-0.95 ; 

 Mexico and over the U. S. border; Arizoua. {Tyranmda cooxxri, Kaup, 1851? M. cooperi 

 Bd., 1858. 31. crinitiis var. cooperi, Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad., 1872, p. 67.) 



374. M. c. erythrocer'cus. (Gt. epvdpos, eriithros, Tuddish ; KepKos, kerkos, tail.) RufouS-tailed 

 Crested Flycatcher. On comparing this bird with typical 31. crinitiis, it is immediately 

 perceived to be different. The lateral tail-feathers have a stripe of fuscous on the inner web 

 adjoining the shaft, this stripe equalling or exceeding the width of the whole fiuter web of the 

 respective feathers, and being about half-<and-half with the rufous ; whereas in crinitiis there is 

 only the narrowest possible dusky stripe on the iiraer web, or none at all. This dusky stripe 

 is of uniform width throughout, not enlarged at the end to occupy most or all of the feather, as 

 is the case with cinerescens. The entire upper parts are darker than those of crinitiis — that 

 is, they have a sordid brownish-olive cast, instead of the clearer and purer greenish-olive of 

 crinittis. The yellosv of the belly is much paler. The ash of the throat is decidedly lighter 

 and clearer, and it comes farther down the breast, yielding to the yellow without the interven- 

 tion of the olivaceous pectoral area which is usually conspicuous in crinitiis. The general 

 aspect of the under parts is much as in cinerescens, both the distribution and shade of tlie colors 

 being more as witnessed in the latter than as seen in crinitiis. The light edgings of the wini;- 

 feathers are also paler than those of crinitus. The bill is black, not dark brown, slenderer than 

 in crinitus; in size nothing like that of cooi)eri, nor has it the very constricted shape of that of 



