A Synopsis of the Birds of North America. John James Audubon
Trachea simple; inferior laryngeal muscles, forming on each side a large pad, but not divisible into several portions as in the singing birds. Nests regularly formed, cup-shaped. Eggs from four to six.
GENUS I. MILVULUS, Swains. SWALLOW-TAIL
Bill moderate, rather stout, straight, broad at the base, gradually compressed toward the end; upper mandible with the dorsal outline a little convex, the edges sharp and nearly perpendicular, 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, broadly elliptical. Head rather large, depressed; neck short; body rather slender. Feet rather short; tarsus short, slender, compressed, with very broad scutella, some of which almost meet behind; toes free, the hind toe not proportionally larger, all scutellate above; claws of moderate size, arched, compressed, acute. Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, second quill longest, first almost as long as third, the three outer abruptly notched near the attenuated tip. Tail extremely elongated and forked, the middle feathers being of ordinary length, the lateral longest.
52. 1. Milvulus Tyrannus, Linn. Prairie Swallow-tail. – Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Plate CLXVIII. Male.
Tail more than twice the length of the body; upper part of head and cheeks deep black, the feathers of the crown bright yellow at the base; back ash-grey, rump bluish-black; wings and tail brownish-black, the lateral feathers of the latter with the outer web white for half its length; lower parts white.
Male, 141/4, 14.
In Louisiana, very rare. Accidental in New Jersey.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Muscicapa Savana, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 1.
Muscicapa Savana, Bonap. Syn. p. 67.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Muscicapa Savana, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 274.
Forked-tailed Flycatcher, Muscicapa Savana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 387.
53. 2. Milvulus forficatus, Gmel. Red-shouldered Swallow-tail. – Swallow-tailed Flycatcher
Plate CCCLIX. Fig. 3. Male.
Tail longer than the body; upper part of the head, cheeks, and hind neck ash-grey; back brownish-grey, rump dusky; anterior wing-coverts scarlet, quills brownish-black, tail-feathers deep black, the three outer on each side rose-coloured to near the end; lower parts white before, rose-coloured behind.
Male, 11, wing 51/8.
Arkansas. Rare in Louisiana.
Swallow-tailed Flycatcher, Muscicapa forficata, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 15.
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, 151/2.
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, 87/8, 143/8.
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, 81/2, 141/2.
North America generally. Migratory. A few winter in South Florida.
Lanius Tyrannus, Linn. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 136.
Tyrant Flycatcher, Muscicapa Tyrannus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 66.
Muscicapa Tyrannus, Bonap. Syn. p. 66.
King-bird or Tyrant Flycatcher, Muscicapa Tyrannus, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 265.
Tyrant Flycatcher, Muscicapa Tyrannus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 403; v. v. p. 420.
** Bill large. Head plain, crested, quills not attenuated.
57. 4. Muscicapa crinita, Linn. Great Crested Flycatcher
Plate CXXIX. Male.
Third quill longest, first and sixth equal; upper parts dull greenish-olive; quills and coverts dark brown, the primaries margined with light red, the secondaries with yellowish-white, of which there are two bars across the wing, formed by the tips of the secondary coverts and first row of small coverts; inner webs of the tail-feathers, except the two middle, light red; margins of inner webs of quills tinged with the same; fore-neck and sides of the head greyish-blue, the rest of the lower parts yellow. Female similar.
Male, 81/2, 13.
From Texas northward, generally distributed. Abundant.