58 
MUSCICAPA TYRANNUS. 
This species is eight inches long, and fourteen in 
extent ; the general colour 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, 
though not forming a crest, is frequently erected, and 
discovers a rich bed of brilliant orange, or flame colour, 
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 colour, and furnished 
with bristles at the base ; the legs and feet are black, 
seamed with gray; the eye, hazel. The female differs 
in being more bro wnish on the upper parts, has a smaller 
streak of paler orange on the crown, and a narrower 
border 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, particularly 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 colour ; 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 colour, 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 
colour, if I may so call it, in birds, it is by no means 
uncommon among the various tribes that inhabit the 
United States. The sparrow hawk, sparrow, robin, 
red-winged blackbird, and many others, are occasionally 
