KINGBIEI). 367 



curved. Culmen rounded or flattened. Gonys flattened. Commissure straight, or nearly 

 BO, to the tip. Nostrils small, circular, basal, overhung but not concealed by bristles, 

 mouth capacious, with broad and deeply fissured rictus, beset with numerous long, 

 strong bristles. Feet small and weak. Tail of twelve feathers. 



Gknus TTRANNUS. Cuvier. 



Wings long, the outer primaries rather abruptly attenuated near the end (in the adnlt), 

 longer than the nearly even tail. 



Tyrannus carolinensis (Gm.) Temm. 



Kingbird: Bee M.artiii, 



Musdoapa tyrannus, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 163. 



Tyrannm inirepidus, Ebad, Fam. Visitor, iii, 1853, 3J1; Proo. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vl, 

 1853, 395. — KiRKPATJRiCK, Ohio Farmer, viii, 1859, 355. 



Tyrannus carolinensis, Wheaton, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 362 ; Reprint, 1861, 4 ; Food of 

 Birds, etc., Ohio Agric, Rep. for 1874, 568 ; Reprint, 1875, 6. — Langdon, Cat. Birds 

 of Cin., 1877, 10 ; Revised List, Jonru. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 18/9, 177 ; Reprint, 

 11 ; Summer Birds, ib, iii, 18i0, 224. — Jones and Shulze, IUus. Nests of Ohio 

 Birds, Part 2, 1879, Plate 6. 



Lanius tyrannus, Linn.«;u8, Syst. Nat., i, 1766, 136. 



Lanius tyrannus var. carolinensis, et ludovicianus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, 1788, 302. 



Tyrannus oaroUnensis, Temminck, Tabl. Meth., 24. 



Muscicapa tyrannus, Wij-SON, Am. Orn., i, 1S08, 66. 



T)/rannu8 intrepidus, Vieillot, Gal. Ois., 1, 1824, 214. 



Two outer primaries obviously attenuate. Above blackish, darker on the head ; 

 crown with a, flame colored patch ; below pure white, the breast shaded with plumb- 

 eous ; wings dusky, with much whitish edging ; tail black, broadly and rather sharply 

 tipped with white, the outer feather sometimes edged with the same. Bill and feet 

 black. Young without the patch ; very yoang birds show rufous edging of wings and 

 tail. Length about 8 inches ; wing4i; tailSJ; bill under 1; 



Habitat, North America at large, north to 57° or further; west to the Rocky 

 Mountains, Oregon, Washington Territory, and British Columbia. South to Peru. 

 Cuba. 



Abundant summer resident. Breeds. Arrives late in April and re- 

 mains till the middle of September. 



The King-bird is noted for the audacious bravery with which it defends 

 its nest. No bird is too large or too active to escape its determined attacks, 

 and its pursuit is unremitting till the intruder is driven to seek safety 

 from its impetuous assailant in distant and often difficult flight. No 

 sooner, however, is the breeding season over than our hero loses his 

 combativeness, and becomes as meek and peaceable as other birds, not 

 even sounding his jingling war note. 



In the vicinity of this city the King-bird has increased in numbers 

 with the removal of forests, in which it is seldom found. It frequents 



