TYRANNIDJE—TYRANNIN^: TYBANT FLYCATCHERS. 435 
the olive back, ash throat, and yellow belly severally pure in color; all tail-feathers but middle 
pair so extensively rufous on inner webs that a mere line, if any, of fuscous persists next 
the shaft (compare erythrocercus and cooperi), and this fuscous line, if any, running of same 
narrowness to ends of the feathers (compare cinerescens) ; 
never more than a trace of rufous on outer webs. Very 
young birds have rufous skirting of many feathers, in ad- 
dition to the chestnut above described, but tliis soon dis- 
appears. Large: length 8.00-9.00; extent about 13.00; 
wing and tail about 4.00 (3.80-4.20); bill 0.75-0.80; 
tarsus 0.70-0.80 ; middle toe and claw 0.65-0.75 ; breadth 
of bill at base 0.33-0.40, or about i the length of culmen. 
Eastern U. S., west to Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and 
Texas, N. to Massachusetts ; Mexico and Central Am. in 
winter. An abundant bird, in woodland, of loud harsh 
voice and quarrelsome disposition, noted for its habitual 
use of cast-off snake-skins in the structure of its nest. 
Nest in hollows of trees and similar retreats ; eggs unique 
(outside this genus) in pattern : ground color buff or rich 
clay-color, with numberless markings of purplish-chest- 
nut, or purplish- chocolate, and others paler, sharp and 
scratchy, mostly lengthwise, but especially at the butt 
tangled up ; size about 0.85 X 0.62. Breeds throughout 
its U.S. range, but entirely withdraws in winter. Locally Fig. 284. — Great Crested Flycatcher, 
J . IT T i M 4. J • ji ^-1 reduced. (Sheppard, del. Nichols sc.) 
and irregularly distributed m woodland. \ fi > > 
880. (in addenda.) M. c. coo'peri. (To Win. Cooper.) Cooper's Large-billed Crested 
Flycatcher. Distinguished in its extreme development from crinitus by its rather greater 
size, and especially the great size of the bill, which runs from 0.80 fully up to 1.10 measured 
along culmen, equalling or even exceeding in length the tarsi, w^hich are themselves usually 0.10 
longer than in crinitus. The olivaceous is usually not so pure, and the yellow not so clear ; 
but the chief difference is, that the inner webs of the tail-feathers have a fuscous stripe i to 
nearly i the width of the feather, as in erythrocercus; from which latter it differs mainly in the 
greater size, especially of the bill. Wings and tail 3.90-4.25 ; bill 0.80-1.00 ; tarsus 0.85-0.95 ; 
Mexico and over the U. S. border; Arizona. {Tyrannula cooperi, Kaup, 1851? M. cooperi 
Bd., 1858. M. crinitus var. cooperi, Cones, Pr. Phila. Acad., 1872, p. 67.) 
374. M. c. erythrocer'cus. (Gr. ipvdpos, eruthros, reddish ; KepKos, kerkos, tail.) RuFOUS- tailed 
Crested Flycatcher. On comparing this bird with typical M. crinitus, it is immediately 
perceived to be different. The lateral tail-feathers have a stripe of fuscous on the inner web 
adjoining the shaft, this stripe equalling or exceeding the width of the whole outer web of the 
respective feathers, and being about half-and-half with the rufous ; whereas in crinitus there is 
only the narrowest possible dusky stripe on the inner web, or none at all. This dusky stripe 
is of uniform width throughout, not enlarged at the end to occupy most or all of the feather, as 
is the case with cinerescens. The entire upper parts are darker than those of crinitus — that 
is, they have a sordid brownish- olive cast, instead of the clearer and purer greenish -olive of 
crinitus. The yellow of the belly is much paler. The ash of the throat is decidedly lighter 
and clearer, and it comes farther down the breast, yielding to the yellow without the interven- 
tion of the olivaceous pectoral area which is nsually conspicuous in crinitus. The general 
aspect of the under parts is much as in cinerescens, both the distribution and shade of the colors 
being more as witnessed in the latter than as seen in crinitus. The light edgings of the wing- 
feathers are also paler than those of crinitus. The bill is black, not dark brown, slenderer than 
in crinitus; in size nothing like that of cooperi, nor has it the very constricted shape of that of 
