VERMILION FLYCATCHER. 363 



also been found in south-western Utah and in California as far north as Ventura 

 County. 



Dr. J. C. Merrill found this exquisite bird breeding in the vicinity of Fort Brown, 

 on the lower Rio Grande of Texas. He writes as follows : "Resident, but more abundant 

 in summer than in winter. During the breeding season, the male frequentlj"^ utters a 

 peculiar twittering song while poised in the air about thirty feet from the ground. 

 During the song it frequently snaps its bill as if catching insects. Its note of anger and 

 alarm is a mew. Except during the breeding season, the birds are decidedly shy. The 

 nests are usually placed upon horizontal forks of ratama-trees, growing upon the edge 

 of the prairie, and rarely more than six feet from the ground. They bear considerable 

 resemblance to nests of the "Wood Pewee in appearance and in the manner in which they 

 are saddled to the limb ; the bottoms are made of small twigs, over which are various 

 soft materials felted together ; a few hairs or a little wool form the lining ; the rims are 

 covered with lichens; the cavity is slight, varying from .8 to 1.25 inch in depth by 

 2.00 in width, and the whole structure is easily overlooked. The usual number of eggs 

 is three; the ground-color is a rich creamy-white, with a ring of large brown and lilac 

 blotches at the larger end. ..." The birds nest usually in May. In southern Arizona, 

 near Tucson, a nest was found by Mr. F. Stephens on April 25. It was placed in the hori- 

 zontal fork of a stout mesquit branch, to which it was attached in such a manner that 

 its upper surface was flush with that of the embracing supports. It was composed 

 outwardly of small twigs, lined with horse and cow hair and a few feathers. It 

 entirely lacks the exterior coating of lichens, spoken of by Dr. Merrill, but in other 

 respects it agrees well with his description given above. Mr. Stephens found other nests, 

 similar in construction to the one described. He considers three eggs the full complement. 



Mr. H. P. Attwater found this bird nesting in a locality ten miles south and 

 south-w^est of San Antonio, Tex., but noticed it nowhere else in the surrounding country. 

 They were observed as early as the first week of February, and a nest was found by 

 this collector on April 15, 1889. It was placed on a horizontal limb of a mesquit tree, 

 seven feet from the ground, and was similar in appearance to the nest of the Wood Pewee. 



The Vermilion Flycatcher is found south to Guatemala. 



NAMES: Vermilion Flycatcher, Red Flycatcher, Ruby Flycatcher. 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Pyrocephalus rabineus Lawr. (1851). Pyrocepbalus mexicanus Sclat. (1859). 

 PYROCEPHALUS SUBINBUS MEXICANUS CouES (1872). 



DESCRIPTION: "Head with a full rounded or globular crest. Tail, even. Crown and whole under-parts, 

 bright carmine-red; rest of upper parts, including the cheeks as far as the bill, and the lining of the 

 wing, dull grayish-brown ; the upper tail-coverts, darker ; the tail almost black ; greater and middle 

 wing-coverts and edges of secondaries and tertials, dull white towards the edges. Female, similar, 

 without the crest; the crown, brown, like the back; under-parts, whitish anteriorly, streaked with 

 brown; behind, white, tinged with red or ochraceous. 



"Length, 5.50 inches; wing, 3.25; tail, 2.75 inches." (B. B. & R. II, p. 387). 



The Beardless Flycatcher, Ornithion imberbe Lawr., was detected by Mr. Geo. 

 B. Sennett at Lomita, Tex., but this little bird seems to be -very rare in that locality. 



A variety, Ridgway's Flycatcher, Ornitbion imberbe ridgwayi Brewster, was 

 discovered by Mr. Stephens near Tucson, Ariz. 



