BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
187 
much shorter than second, third and fourth, which are about equal ; tarsus a little 
longer than middle toe; plumage above brownish-olive, throat bluish-ash ; belly 
white, inner webs of tail feathers decidedly rufous. 
Genus, Sayornis: Head moderately crested; wings slightly pointed ; third quill 
longest, second, fourth and fifth nearly equal; and first shorter than sixth ; tail 
slightly forked. Tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe which is but little longer 
than hind toe. Plumage above brownish, darkest on head, below whitish, but in 
fall and winter lower parts are frequently quite yellowish. 
Genus, Contopus : Head slightly crested ; wings longer than the slightly forked 
tail and pointed ; the first primary about as long as fourth ; the wings are much 
longer than tail; tarsus short and stout; is a little longer than hind toe and scarcely 
as long as middle toe and claw. Plumage above olive brown, yellowish below with 
darkish patches on sides of breast. 
Genus, Empulonax: Head slightly crested ; wings rather rounded and not much 
longer than the nearly even tail ; second, third and fourth quills about equal, form 
point of wing ; first quill much shorter than fourth ; tarsus longer than middle toe 
and claw, whicli is also decidedly longer than hind toe. Plumage greenish-brown 
above, more or less yellowish below and generally grayish on throat. 
Genus TYEANNUS Cuvier. 
Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.). 
Kingbird ; Beebird. 
Description {Plate 24 ). 
‘‘ Length about 85 inches ; extent about 14| inches ; above blackish-ash ; top of head 
quite black ; crown with a concealed patch of orange red; lower parts pure white, 
tinged with pale bluish-ash on the sides of the throat and across the breast; sides of 
breast and under the wings similar to, but rather lighter than the back; axillaries 
pale grayish-brown tipped with lighter ; the wings dark-brown, darkest toward the 
end of the quills ; the greater coverts and quills edged with white, most so on the 
tertials ; the lesser coverts edged with paler ; upper tail-coverts and upper surface of 
the tail glossy black, the latter very dark brown beneath ; all the feathers tipped, 
and the exterior margined externally with white, forming a conspicuons terminal 
band about .25 of an inch broad. 
Young. —Very similar but colors generally duller; the concealed colored patch on 
the crown wanting; the tail and wings in some specimens often edged with rusty.” 
Habitat. —Eastern North America, from British Provinces south to Central and 
South America. Rare west of the Rocky mountains (Utah, Nevada, Washington 
Territory, etc.). 
This well known bird is a common summer resident in Pennsylvania, 
where it arrives usually about the 25tli of April. The males precede the 
females in their arrival by some three or four days. These birds gener¬ 
ally, I think, migrate singly ; I have never observed them in the spring 
in small flocks. During the month of February and until the 20th of 
March, 1885, I saw no Kingbirds in various localities along the St. John’s 
river, Florida, but from the 20th of March and until quite late in April 
these birds (in that state called Field Martins) were oftentimes met with. 
The technical name tyrannus given to the subject of this present 
sketch is particularly appropriate, as this bird during the breeding sea¬ 
son is ever on the alert, and seemingly anxious to attack his feathered 
