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A Synopsis of the Birds of North America · John James Audubon — chapter 22 of 168 · ~554 words · public domain

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Muscicapa forficata, Bonap. Syn. p. 275.

Swallow-tailed Flycatcher, Muscicapa forficata, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 275.

Swallow-tailed Flycatcher, Muscicapa forficata, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 426.

GENUS II. MUSCICAPA, Linnæus. FLYCATCHER.

Bill moderate, or rather long, stout, straight, broad at the base, gradually compressed toward the end; upper mandible with the dorsal outline sloping, the edges sharp and overlapping, with a very small notch close to the small deflected tip; lower mandible with the ridge very broad at the base, the sides rounded, the tip minute and ascending. Nostrils basal, roundish. Head rather large, depressed; neck short; body rather slender. Feet short; tarsus very short, slender, with six very broad scutella, three of which almost meet behind; toes free, the hind toe large, all scutellate above; claws rather long, very slender, arched, finely pointed. Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, second and third quills longest; outer primaries generally attenuated at the end. Tail long, even, or emarginate.

* Bill large. Head with a vermilion patch, outer quills attenuated. Tyrannus of authors.

54. 1. Muscicapa verticalis, Say. Arkansaw Flycatcher.

Plate CCCLIX. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.

The outer five primaries much attenuated toward the end, the first more so, the fifth least, the third longest, but the outer four nearly equal; tail almost even. Upper parts ash-grey, the back tinged with yellow; a patch of bright vermilion on the top of the head; wing-coverts and quills chocolate-brown; upper tail-coverts and tail black, the outer web of the lateral feathers yellowish-white; throat greyish-white, sides and fore part of neck ash-grey, the rest of the lower parts pure yellow. Female similar.

Male, 9, 15-1/2.

Columbia River, Rocky Mountains, and across to Texas. Accidental in Louisiana. Migratory.

Tyrannus verticalis, Say Long's Exped. v. ii. p. 60.

Arkansaw Flycatcher, Muscicapa verticalis, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 18.

Muscicapa verticalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 67.

Arkansaw Flycatcher, Muscicapa verticalis, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 273.

Arkansaw Flycatcher, Muscicapa verticalis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 422; v. v.

55. 2. Muscicapa dominicensis, Brisson. Pipiry Flycatcher.

Plate CLXXII. Male.

The outer six primaries attenuated at the end, the first more so, the sixth least; the third longest, but the second almost equal, the fourth and fifth very little shorter, the first much longer than the seventh; tail emarginate. Upper parts dull ash-grey, shaded with brown posteriorly; a concealed patch of bright vermilion on the top of the head; wing-coverts, quills and tail chocolate-brown, margined with brownish-white; lower parts anteriorly ash-grey, behind greyish-white tinged with yellow, lower wing-coverts pale sulphur yellow. Female similar.

Male, 8-7/8, 14-3/8.

Florida Keys; and southern parts of South Carolina. Abundant. Migratory.

Tyrannus griseus, Vieill., Ois. d'Amer. pl. 46.

Pipiry Flycatcher, Muscicapa dominicensis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 392.

56. 3. Muscicapa Tyrannus, Linn. Tyrant Flycatcher,--King Bird.

Plate LXXIX. Male and Female.

The outer two primaries attenuated at the end, the second longest, the first longer than the third; tail even. Upper parts dark bluish-grey, the head greyish-black, with a bright vermilion patch margined with yellow; quills, coverts, and tail-feathers brownish-black, the former margined with dull white; the latter largely tipped with white; lower parts greyish-white, the breast pale grey. Female duller, the upper parts tinged with brown, the lower more dusky.

Male, 8-1/2, 14-1/2.

North America generally. Migratory. A few winter in South Florida.

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