BIRDS—TYRANNINAE—-TYRANNUS VERTICALIS. 
173 
the hill and feet being much stronger, the former considerably longer than the head, and a 
large as that of Saurophagus sulphuratus, though less compressed. 
This species is a constant summer visitor to the maritime portions of Florida, and thence to 
the West Indies ; and a pair has been observed at Charleston, by Mr. Audubon. It is not well 
established whether our species is to be considered the true dominicensis or the griseus, if distinct, 
as asserted by Bonaparte in his Conspectus Avium. The specimen described is a Florida one. 
Cabanis, as quoted above, has instituted a genus Melittarclius, with magnirostris as type, for 
the tyrants with very large swollen bills, emarginated tails, and less attenuated outer prima¬ 
ries. The gradations, however, in size of bill of the tyrants are so slight, and the other 
characters so variable, even in the smaller billed species, that the group seems scarcely of 
generic value. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
6518 
« 
9.50 
15.00 
4.70 
6519 
s 
.do.. 
Black eyes and tongue 
1881 
2963 
* 
TYRANNUS VERTICALIS, Say. 
Arkansas Flycatcher. 
Tyrannvs verticalis, Say. Long’s Exped. II, 1823, CO.— Nuttall, Man. II, 2d ed. 1840, 306. 
Muscicapa verticalis, Bonap. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 18; pi. xi.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1S38, 422; pi. 359 .—Ib. Birds 
America I, 1840, 199 ; pi. 54. 
Sp. Ch. —The four exterior quills attenuated very gently at the end, the first most so ; third and fourth quills longest, 
second and fifth successively a little shorter. Tail slightly forked ; bill shorter than the head. Crown, sides of head above the 
eyes, nape, and sides of neck pale lead color or ash gray ; a concealed crest in the crown, vermilion in the centre, and yellowish 
before and behind. Hind neck and back ash gray, strongly tinged with light olivaceous green, the gray turning to brown on the 
rump ; upper tail coverts nearly black, lower dusky ; chin and part of ear coverts dull white ; throat and upper part of breast 
similar to the head, but lighter, and but slightly contrasted with the chin ; rest of lower parts, with the under wing coverts and 
axillars, yellow, deepening to gamboge on the belly, tinged with olivaceous on the breast. Wing brown, the coverts with 
indistinct ashy margins ; secondaries and tertials edged with whitish ; inner webs of primaries whitish towards the base. Tail 
nearly black above and glossy, duller brownish beneath ; without olivaceous edgings. Exterior feather, with the outer web and 
the shaft, yellowish white ; inner edge of latter brown. Tips of remaining feathers paler. Bill and feet dark brown. 
Female rather smaller and colors less bright. Length of male, 8.25 ; wing about 4.50. 
Hab. —Western North America, from the high central plains to the Pacific. 
The young bird is, in general, quite similar, with the exception of the usual appearance of 
immaturity, the colored patch on the crown wanting. In one specimen the first primary only 
is attenuated, in others none are attenuated. 
A specimen of this bird, shot at Moorestown, New Jersey, is in the museum of the Philadelphia 
Academy, but this locality can only be considered as very exceptional. 
