393, 
126. 
394. 
444 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARLE. 
overhanging tip; commissure gently decurved; gonys about straight. Head a little crested, 
as in Empidonax, Contopus, ete. Wings of moderate length, much rounded ; 2d to 5th prima- 
ries subequal and longest, 6th shorter, Ist 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 Empidonaz. 
O.imber’be. (Lat. imberbis, beardless ; in, not, and barba, a beard.) TExAS BEARDLESS 
FruycarcHer. 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 E’mpidonac. 
Bill dark brown above, pale below. Worn specimens are quite brownish above, and whitish 
below, with little edging of the wings and tail. Young and fresh fall specimens are more clearly 
olivaceous above and yellowish beluw, shaded with gray across the breast ; the young with the 
wing-bars tinged with buff or tawny — all quite as usual in Hmpidonax. Very small: length 
about 4.25 ; wing 2.10; tail 1.80; bill scarcely 0.30; tarsus 0.55 ; whole foot scarcely 1.00. 
A curious little flycatcher of Mexico and Central Aim., lately discovered on the Lower Rio 
Grande of Texas. Nest and eggs unknown. 
PYROCE’'PHALUS. (Gr. wip, gen. mupos, pur, puros, fire; xepadn, kephale, head.) FrRe- 
CROWNED 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, narrow at base, much as in Sayiornis. Wings moderate, pointed; 2d-4th quills 
longest, lst 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. 
P. rubi/neus mexica/nus. (Lat. rubineus, 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; bill and feet 
black. @ : Dulk 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, and rather speckled than 
streaked with gray. But reddish soon replaces the yellow of the 
Fie. 288, — Head of Ver- ‘crissum and axillars. Adult ¢ ¢ are subject to much variation; the 
tailion Flycatcher, nat. size. ped is sometimes rather orange. Length about 6.00; wing 3.25; 
tail 2.50; bill 0.45 ; tarsus 0.55 ;, middle toe and claw 0.50. Valleys of the Rio Grande and 
Colorado, and southward; common in Arizona on the Gila; a very showy little bird, of the 
usual flycatcher habits. 
II.— Order PICARIZ: Picarian Birds. 
This is « miscellaneous assortment (in scientific language, ‘‘a polymorphic group”) 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, 
