160 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



tail, and rosy or white edgings and scarlet patches on the sides 

 of the body. This graceful bird can be recognized for a great 

 distance by its forked tail, and espe- 

 cially so, as it has the habit of open- 

 ing and closing the parts like a pair of 

 scissors. 



Length,12-15 ; wing,4J (43-5J); tail, 7-12 ; 

 tarsus, I ; culmen, |. Southwestern Mis- 

 souri, tlirougli Texas, eastern Mexico to Cen- 

 tral America. Accidental in New England, 

 New Jersey, Florida, etc. Tlie Fork-tailed 

 Flycatcher (442. Milvulus tyranniis) is a 

 beautiful, tropical American bird, wliich has 

 accidentally wandered to various parts of the 

 United States (New Jersey, Kentucky, Mis- 

 sissippi, etc.). It is a black-capped, ashy- 

 backed, black-tailed bird, with the lower parts 

 white, and the outer webs of the outer tail 

 feathers white for lialt their length. The tail 

 is forked from 4-8 inches. 



2. Kingbird (444. Tyrannus tyran- 

 nus). — A pale, slate-colored kingbird, 

 with nearly white under parts, 

 and black tail tipped with n 

 broad band of white. The 

 under parts have a wash of 

 gray on the breast. The afhdt 

 has a concealed orange - red 

 patch on the crown ; this is 

 lacking in the young. This 

 bird has the habit of perching 

 in an exposed position, with 

 the body upright, like a hawk, 

 watching for its insect prey. 

 If food is seen, it suddenly 

 darts into the air, seizes it, and 

 returns to the same jierch. 

 (Bee Martin.) ^.^^^^^^ 



Soissor-tailed Flycatoher 



