TYRANT FLYCATCHER 



73 



I plead in vain! Amid the bursting roar 



The poor, lost King-bird, welters in his gore. 



This species is eight inches long, and fourteen in extent ; the 

 general color above is a dark slaty ash ; the head and tail are nearly 

 black; the latter even at the end, and tipt with white; the wings 

 are more of a brownish cast ; the quills and wing coverts are also 

 edged with dull white; the upper part of the breast is tinged with 

 ash; the throat, and all the rest of the lower parts are pure white; 

 the plumage on the crown, tho not forming a crest, is frequently 

 erected, as represented in the plate, and discovers a rich bed of 

 brilliant orange, or flame color, called by the country people his 

 crown; when the feathers lie close this is altogether concealed. 

 The bill is very broad at the base, overhanging at the point, and 

 notched, of a glossy black color, and furnished with bristles at the 

 base; the legs and feet are black, seamed with grey; the eye hazel. 

 The female differs in being more brownish on the upper parts, has 

 a smaller streak of paler orange on the crown ; and a narrower bor- 

 der of duller white on the tail. The young birds do not receive 

 the orange on the head during their residence here the first season. 



This bird is very generally known, from the lakes to Florida. 

 Besides insects, they feed, like every other species of their tribe 

 with which I am acquainted, on various sorts of berries, particu- 

 larly blackberries, of which they are extremely fond. Early in 

 September they leave Pennsylvania on their way to the south. 



A few days ago, I shot one of these birds, the whole plumage 

 of which was nearly white, or a little inclining to a cream color ; it 

 was a bird of the present year, and could not be more than a month 

 old. This appeared also to have been its original color, as it issued 

 from the egg. The skin was yellowish white ; the eye much lighter 

 than usual; the legs and bill blue. It was plump and seemingly 

 in good order. I presented it to Mr. Peale. Whatever may be 

 the cause of this loss of color, if I may so call it, in birds, it is by 



VOL. II. T 



