Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/215

Rh MusciCAPA CRIKITA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 325 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 485 — Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 67.

Great Crested Flycatcher, Muscicapa crinita, Wils, Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 75. pi. 13. fig. 2 Kuttall, Manual, part i. p. 271.

Adult Male. Plate CXXIX. Fig. 1.

Bill rather long, stout, broader than deep, excepting towards the end, where it is compressed ; upper mandible with the ridge broad and nearly straight, the sides convex, the tip declinate, the edges sharp, with a sinus close to the tip ; lower mandible with the back broad at the base, the sides convex, the ridge rather sharp towards the end, the edges sharp. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish, partly covered by the bristly feathers. Head rather large, but the general form rather slender. Feet short ; tarsus very short, covered anteriorly with a few scutella, sharp behind ; toes free, scutellate, slender ; claws arched, much compressed, very acute.

Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the head pointed and elon- gated. Wings of ordinary length, broad, rounded, the fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail rather long, slightly forked, of twelve rounded feathers. The bristles at the base of the bill strong.

Bill and legs brownish-black. Iris brown. The colour of the upper parts is dull greenish-olive. Quills and coverts dark brown, the primaries margined with light reddish-brown, the secondaries with 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 light ferruginous, as are those of the quills. Sides of the head and neck bluish-grey. The under parts in general lemon-yellow

Length 8| inches, extent of wings 13 ; bill along the ridge, along the edge l^ ; tarsus /j.

The Female resembles the male.