perciung-biuds. 113 



The name " Tyrant " is specially applicable to the larger birds of this 

 group^ on account o£ their pugnacious disposition, and they frequently 

 attack other birds, often of superior size and strength. They are 

 mostly clad in dull colours, but a few are ornamented with erectile 

 crests, as in Muscivora (1758), or brilliantly coloured, as in Pyrocephalus 

 (1761). 



Four subfamilies have been recognised, the first being the Tcenio- 

 pterince, which includes a number of dull-coloured grey and black 

 species, the most noteworthy form, on account of its abnormal tail, 

 being Alectrurus tricolor (1732), from the Pampas district of South 

 America, and the Yiperu (Cybernetes yetapa) (1733), one of the largest 

 forms, with a very long and deeply forked tail. 



The second subfamily, Platyrhynchina, embraces a number of small 

 Flycatcher-like birds with flattened bills and dull olive- coloured plumage. 

 Among the examples shown we may draw attention to the crested form 

 Colopterus galeatus (1736), in which the outer flight-feathers of the 

 male are curiously abbreviated, and to Euscarthmus gularis (1774), to 

 be found, with its dome-shaped nest with the entrance at the side, on 

 the floor of the Case. 



The Elaineirue, or Olive Tyrants, form a third subfamily, with the 

 bill more compressed and the bristles at the base much less developed. 

 The general colour of the species is olive-green or sombre brown, in 

 harmony with the dense forests to which they mostly resort, and the 

 majority have an orange or red vertical spot on the top of the head. 

 The bright-tinted reed-frequeuting Cyanotis aearm (1743) is an exception 

 both in colours and habits. Elainea ridleyana (1776) and its near allies 

 build a small cup-shaped nest of moss and lichen ; while Myiozetetes 

 similis (1778) makes a domed loosely-constructed nest of fibre with an 

 entrance at the side. These will be found on the floor of the Case. 

 The largest species is Myiodynastes bairdi (1751), a bird about the size 

 of a thrush. 



Of the fourth subfamily, Tyrannina (which includes all the largest 

 members of the family, with flattened bills and well-developed bristles), 

 the most remarkable are the long fork-tailed species Milvulus tyrannus 

 (1772) and M. forficatus (1773) ; the King-Tyrant {Muscivora regia) 

 (1758), with its tiara-like crest of orange feathers tipped with shining 

 purple; and the scarlet-plumaged Pyrocephalus rubineus {\16\), repre- 

 senting the only brilliantly coloured genus of the Tyrannidoe. 



Family V. PnYTOTOMiDiE. Plant-cutters. 



The few finch-like species of the genus Phytotoma (178G-I) in- fOase 70."' 

 eluded in this family are all natives of South America. They are 



