TYBANNIBJE—TYBANNINJE: TYRANT FLYCATCHERS. 



436 



880. 



374. 



Fig. 284. — Great Crested Flycatcher, 

 reduced. (Sheppard, del. Nichols sc.) 



the olive back, ash throat, and yellow belly severally pure in color ; all tail-feathers but middle 

 pair so extensively rufous on inner webs that a mere line, if any, of fuscous persists next 

 the shaft (compare erythrocercus and cooperi), and this fuscous line, if any, running of same 

 narrowness to ends of the feathers (compare dnerescens) ; 

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

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

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

 appears. Large: length 8.00-9.00; extent about 13.00; 

 wing and tail about 4.00 (3.80-4.20); bill 0.75-0.80; 

 tarsus 0.70-0.80 ; middle toe and claw 0.65-0.75 ; breadth 

 of bill at base 0.83-0.40, 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 quarrelsome disposition, noted for its habitual 

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

 Nest in hollows of 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 in woodland, 

 (in addenda.) M. c. coo'peri. (To Wm. Cooper.) Cooper's Laege-billed Crbsteb 

 Plycatchee. Distinguished in its extreme development from orinitus 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 crinitus. The olivaceous is usually not so pure, and the yeUow not so clear ; 

 but the chief difference is, that the inner 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 biE. Wings and tail 3.90-4.25 ; biU 0.80-1.00; tarsus 0.85-0.95 ; 

 Mexico and over the U. S. border; Arizona. (Tyrannula cooperi, Kaup, 1851? M. cooperi 

 Bd., 1858. M. crinitus var. cooperi, Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad., 1872, p. 67-) 

 M. c. erythrocer'cus. (Gr. ipv6p6s, eruthros, reddish ; xepKos, kerkos, tail.) Rupous-tallei> 

 Crested Flycatcher. On comparing this bird with typical M. crinitus, 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 outer web of the 

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

 only the narrowest possible dusky stripe on the inner 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 ci/nerescems. The entire upper parts are darker than those of crinitus — that 

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

 crinitus. The yellow of the beUy is much paler. The ash of the throat is decidedly lighter 

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

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

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

 being more as witnessed in the latter than as seen in crinitus. The light edgings of the vring- 

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

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



