444 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PICABI^. 



overhanging tip •■, commissure gently decurved ; gonys about straight. Head a little crested, 

 as in Empidonax, Contopus, etc. Wings of moderate length, much rounded ; 2d to 5th prima- 

 ries subequal and longest, 6th shorter, 1st about equal to 7th. Tail a little shorter than wings, 

 even or scarcely rounded. Tarsus long, exceeding the middle toe and claw ; lateral toes sub- 

 equal, their claws about reaching base of middle claw ; hind claw shorter than its digit. Of 

 diminutive size, and dull plain colors, as in the small olivaceous flycatchers generally ; but for 

 the bill, the species might be mistaken for an Empidonax. 



393. O. imber'be. (Lat. imherhis, beardless ; in, not, and harha, a beard.) Texas Beardless 

 Flycatcher. Adult $ 9 : Above, dull olive-gray, a little darker (browner) on the length- 

 ened erectile feathers of the crown, a little brighter (greener) on the rump and upper tail-coverts. 

 Below, pale dull gray, sometimes almost grayish-white anteriorly, clearing on the belly and 

 under tail-coverts to pale yellowish. Wings and tail fuscous, with pale gray or whitish edgings 

 of the middle and greater coverts and most of the quills of the wings, as in an Empidonax. 

 BUI dark brown above, pale below. Worn specimens are quite brownish above, and whitish 

 below, with little edging of the wings and tail. Young and iresh fall specimens are more clearly 

 olivaceous above and yellowish below, shaded with gray across the breast ; the young with the 

 wing-bars tinged with buff or tawijy — all quite as usual in Empidonax. Very small : length 

 about 4.25 ; wing 2.10; tail 1.80; biU scarcely 0.30 ; tarsus 0.55; whole foot scarcely 1.00. 

 A curious little flycatcher of Mexico and Central Am., lately discovered on the Lower Rio 

 Grande of Texas. Nest and eggs unknown. 



126. PYROCE'PHAIiTJS. (Gti. wvp, gen. irvpos, pur, puros, Are ; KefjjoKri, kephak, head.) Fire- 

 CROVFNED Flycatchers. Sexes very dissimilar : head of $ with a full globular crest (fig. 288), 

 and all under parts (usually) scarlet- red; other parts deep brown ; 9 brown and whitish. Bill 

 slender, naiTow at base, much as in Sayiornis. Wings moderate, pointed ; 2d-4th quills . 

 longest, 1st between 5th and 6th. Tail nearly even, shorter than wings, of broad feathers. 

 Tarsus scarcely longer than middle toe and claw. A tropical genus of several species, one of 

 which reaches our border. 



394. P. rnbi'neus mexica'nus. (Lat. rubimeus, ruby-red.) Vermilion Flycatcher. Adult $ : 

 Pure dark brown, including stripe along side of head; wings and tail blackish with slight pale 

 edgings ; the full globular crest, and all the under parts scarlet or vermilion ; biU and feet 

 black. 9 : Dull brown, including the little-crested crown; below, white, tinged with red, 



reddish or orange in some places ; the breast and sides with slight 

 dusky streaks. Immature $ shows gradation between the characters . 

 of both sexes ; at first there is no red whatever, the bird otherwise 

 resembling the 9 > but pale yellowish where she is reddish ; upper 

 parts gray ; all the feathers may be skirted with whitish, especially 

 on the wing-coverts and inner secondaries; tail quite blackish ; under 

 parts more purely white than in the 9 j and rather speckled than 

 streaked with gray. But reddish soon replaces the yeUow of the 

 Fig. 288. —Head of Ver- crissum and axillars. Adult ^ ,J are subject to much variation ; the 



milion Flycatcher, nat. size, red is sometimes rather orange. Length about 6.00 ; wing 3.25 ; 



tail 2.50 ; bOl 0.45 ; tarsus 0.55 ; middle toe and daw 0.50. Valleys of the Eio Grande and 



Colorado, and southward ; common in Arizona on the Gila ; a very showy little bird, of the 



usual flycatcher habits. 



II. — Order PICARI.a!: Ficariati Birds. 



This is a miscellaneous assortment (in scientific language, "a polymorphic gi-oup") of 

 birds of highly diversified forms, grouped together more because they differ from other birds in 

 one way or another, than on account of their resemblance to one another. As commonly received, 



