262 
FORK- TAILED FLYCATCHER. 
nada, still the fact seemed more than doubtful, since this bird 
escaped the researches of Vieillot, and, what is more extraor- 
dinary, those of the indefatigable Wilson. It is, therefore, a 
very gratifying circumstance, that we are able to introduce 
this fine bird with certainty into the Ornithology of the United 
States, and by the individual represented in the annexed plate, 
to remove all doubt on the subject. The specimen from which 
our drawing was made is a beautiful male, in full plumage ; 
it was shot near Bridgetown, New Jersey, at the extraordinary 
season of the first week in December, and was presented by 
Mr J. Woodcraft, of that town, to Mr Titian Peale, who fa- 
voured me with the opportunity of examining it. 
Brisson published the first account of this bird. That we 
have rejected the name given by Linne, may appear contrary 
to our principles ; but, in this instance, we certainly have no 
option, inasmuch as the same name has been very properly re- 
tained by Wilson, agreeably to Brisson, for the Lanius tyran- 
nus of Linne. Had Linne himself included them both in the 
same genus, he would doubtless have retained that specific name 
for the kingbird, which is unquestionably a Muscicapa, and not a 
Lanius. As the kingbird is a very abundant species, known to 
every zoological reader by the name of Tyrannus, it is obvious 
that less inconvenience will be produced by changing the 
name of an almost unknown species, than would result from 
altering that of one with which we are so familiar. We have, 
therefore, adopted Vieillot’s specific name of savanna^ taken by 
that author from Montbeillard, who, in Bulfon’s work, there- 
by endeavoured to commemorate this bird’s habit of frequent- 
ing inundated savannas. Naturalists who separate Tyrannus 
from Muscicapa generically, disagree with respect to the ar- 
rangement of this species. For ourselves, we consider the 
former as a sub-genus of Muscicapa, including the larger spe- 
cies, among which our fork-tailed flycatcher must be placed. 
internis emarginatis; cauda longissima, forficata P* and afterwards to give it 
the rank of a siih-genus, under the title of Milvulus, with which will also range 
the swallow-tailed flycatcher of next plate, Milvulus longipennis, &c. ; making this 
curious group to contain at least six or seven known species. — En. 
* See MonograpMcal Sketch. Brand’s Journal, No. LX. p. 282. 
