TYEANNID^'E, FLYCATCHERS. — GEN. 104, 105. 169 



strident, though some species have a not unpleasant whistle or twitter. The sexes 

 are not ordinarily distinguishable (remarkable exception in gen. Ill), and the 

 clianges of plumage with age and season are not very great. The larger kinds are 

 unmistakable, but several of the smaller species (of gen. 107, 108, 109) look very 

 much alike, and their discrimination becomes a mauter of much tact and diligence. 



104. Genus MILVULUS Swainson. 



*,^* Adults with the tail much longer than the body, deeply forficate, one or more 

 outer primaries strongly emarginate, and a brightly colored crown-patch. 



Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Three or four primaries emarginate ; crown- 

 patch yellow. Clear ash, below white ; top and sides of head, and tail, black ; 

 the outer tail feather white ou the outer web for about half its length ; wings 

 dusky, unmarked. Sexes alike ; young similar, but primaries not emar- 

 ginate, nor tail lengthened. Wing about 4 ; tail from 3 inches to a foot 

 long. A beautiful bird of tropical America, accidental in the U. S. 

 (Louisiana, New Jersey, Audubon). Aud., i, 196, pi. 52; Nutt., i, 274, 



2ded. 307; Bd., 168 tykannus. 



<j U I 8wallow-tailed Flijcaicher. Scissor-tail. First primary alone emarginate 

 (fig. 110a) ; crown-patch orange or scarlet. Hoary ash, paler or white below, 

 sides at insertion of the wings scarlet or bloody-red, and other parts of the 

 body variously tinged with the same, or a paler shade ; wings blackish, gener- 

 ally with whitish edgings ; tail black, several outer feathers extensively white 

 or rosy ; wing about 4J ; tail upwards of a foot long. Young similar, lack- 

 ing the crown-patch, less tinged with red, tail not elongated, primary not 

 emarginate. Lower Mississippi Valley, Texas and southward ; accidental 

 in New Jersey (Abbot, Am. Nat., vi, 367). A most elegant and graceful 

 bird. Nutt., i, 275; AuD.,i, 197, pi. 53; Bd., 169. . . forficatus. 



105. Genus TYRAHNUS Cuvier. 



*,f*^*l"lts with the tail not forficate, shorter than tlie lengthened wings, of which 

 several outer primaries are emarginate or gradually attenuate, and crown with a 

 j'ellow or flame-colored patch. Young with the 

 crown plain and primaries not emarginate. Sexes 

 alike in color ; primaries said to be less emarginate 

 in the ? . 



* No olive nor decided yellow. 

 '; i ' Kingbird. Bee-martin. (Plate ii, figs. 1, 



2, Iff, 2ffl.) Only two outer primaries obviously 5^\'^'^^^^^^^^ffclt=ssf^ /' 



emarginate (fig. 1106) . Blackish-ash, still darker 



on head, below pure white, the l)reast shaded with 



plumbeous ; wings dusky, with much whitish 



edging ; tail black, broadly and sharply tipped 



with white, the outer feather sometimes edged ^'°- "^- i^'os^'i'^i- Bee-martin. 



with the same ; bill and feet black ; very young birds show rufous edging of 



the wings and tail. Length about 8 inches ; wing 4^ ; tail 3i, even or 



slightly rounded ; bill small, under an inch long. Temperate North America, 



KKY TO N. A. BIRDS. 22 



