Bill depressed, triangular, compressed at the end, upper mandible
notched, lower with the point slightly ascending. Head rather large,
depressed; neck short; body rather slender. Feet generally short;
tarsus short, slender, with very broad scutella; toes four, free; the
hind toe not proportionally large; claws arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, with the first quill generally
long, the outer three longest. Tail various. Tongue flattened,
sagittate, bristly at the tip; œsophagus wide, without crop;
stomach elliptical, moderately muscular, with the lateral muscles
distinct, the epithelium thin, dense, longitudinally rugous; intestine
short; cœca extremely small; cloaca globular. 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_, 14-1/4, 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 5-1/8.
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.