BIRDS—COLOPTERIDAE—TYRANNINAE. 
167 
variable ; first quill always more than three-fourtlis the second. The outer primaries sometimes 
attenuated near the tip. 
The species of this suh-family may, for our present purposes, be divided into Tyranni and 
Tyrannuli. The former are large, generally with bright color, pointed wings, with attenuated 
primaries and a colored crest in the middle of the crown. The others are plainer, smaller, 
without crest; the primaries not attenuated. 
The following schedule may serve to illustrate the genera of North American Tyrant fly¬ 
catchers : 
Tyranni. 
Size large ; colors generally brilliant; crown with a brightly colored crest, usually concealed ; 
outer primaries abruptly contracted or attenuated near the tip ; upper scales of tarsus usually 
continuing round on the outside and behind. 
Milvulus. —Tail excessively forked and lengthened ; more than twice as long as 
the wings. 
Tyrannus. —Tail moderate ; nearly even or forked ; less than the wings. 
Tyrannuli. 
Size small ; colors usually^plain ; crown without any colored crest concealed by the tips of 
the feathers ; primaries normal ; scales of the upper part of the tarsus usually continuing 
only to the middle of the outer face, and a second series opposite to them behind. 
1. Tail lengthened ; about equal to tbe wings, which reach scarcely to its middle. 
Myiarchus. —Tarsus equal to the middle toe, which is decidedly longer than the 
hinder one. Tail even or rounded. 
Sayornis. —Tarsus rather longer than the middle toe, which is scarcely longer than 
the hind toe. Tail slightly forked. 
2. Tail decidedly shorter than the wings. 
Contopus. —Tarsus shorter than the middle toe ; hind toe much longer than the 
lateral. Tail considerably forked. Wings long, pointed ; much longer than 
the tail, reaching beyond the middle of the latter ; first quill about equal 
to the fourth. 
Empidonax. —Tarsus considerably longer than the middle toe ; nearly as long as 
the head ; hind toe much longer than lateral. Tail nearly even or rounded ; 
but little shorter than the wings ; first primary much shorter than the fourth. 
Pyrocephalus. —Tarsus but little longer than the middle toe; hind toe not longer 
than the lateral. Tail broad, even ; first quill shorter than the fifth. 
MILVULUS, Swainson. 
Milvulus, Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 165. 
Despotes, Reichenbach,' Avium Syst. Naturae, 1850, (in part.) 
Sp. Ch.—B ill shorter than the head, and nearly equal to the tarsus. Tail nearly twice as long as the wing, excessively 
forked ; the middle feathers scarcely half the lateral First primary abruptly attenuated at the end, where it is very narrow 
and linear. Head with a concealed crest of red. 
This group is distinguished from Tyrannus by the very long tail, but the two species assigned 
to North America, although agreeing in most respects, differ in others. Thus, in M. forjicatus 
