424 ARKAN8AW FLYCATCHER.
most straight Nostrils basal, elliptical, partly eo««M by the bristly
featlxor^.;: ,
Head rather large; neck short; body slendffli 1 Feet vesy short;
tarsus slender* compressed, with- :si», anterior, seutella, which w e * ,
largo below as almost to meet behind : free, slender of moderate
length. Claws moderately arched* mneh compressed, aeutg,,,
Wwge soft and blended. Strong bristles along the basal margin
of the upper mandible, and over the,nostrils. Wings .raft^long,..
broad ;.the first-fiv» primaries much attenuated toward the end, the
first more so, the fifth least; this attenuation being.chiefly produced
by an incision on the first web; the first lour are nearly equal,,the third
longest, the fourth half a twelfth shorter, the third ouo twelfth shorter
than the l.ind, and
other ¡primaries 'gradually broader and more rounded ; outer secondaries
abrupt and slightty emarginate, TW rather long, almost even, of
tWJl« broad, abruptly round« and acuniinal.- feathers.
Biaaiaok, Iris brown, jitest/and claws black , The »general colour
the upper parts is ash-grey, the back. tinged with yellow ; the
"'i.ng-eovorts » d cjuills chocolate-brown, with brownish-white edges,
those: of the inner secondaries broader. Upper tail-coverts and tail
'excepting tl®, outer web oi-the lateral feather on,Wh side,
and the basal margin of:the next'. There, is a patch of bright vcrmilion
OB the. top of the head, tinged with orange-yellow behind. Throat
greyish-white, the sides and fore part'« the neck pale ash-grey, shaded
on the fore part of the breast into yellow, which *is the prevalent
colour of the lower partsRower wing-coVerts yellow, the middle ones!
tinged with grey.
Length to end.,of tail 9 inches,, to end of wings 7, to end of claws
7, extent ¿6 wings $ ! f | tail gf ; wing from flexure Si ; bill along the,
ridf?° A- &<» edge f l owe r mandible 1.,',, ; tarsus ; first tpo /J,
its claw ft ; third too t: j, its claw t%.
Adult Female. 1'late CCCJUX. Fig.;-2.
The Female is rather smaller, but is similar to the male in colouring
"
' The 'young also is similar to the adult, but wanis'tho red patch on
tho Bead. '
ARKANSAW FLYCATCHER. 425
In the female mentioned above as having been found in Texas, the
mouth is half an inch wide, its roof anteriorly
slightly concave, with three median prominent lines,
the palate flat, with its membrane or skin diaphanous,
as in Goatsuckers, The tongue is 7 twelfths
long, deeply emarginate and papillate1 at the base ;
triangular, extremely depressed, tapering to a thin
slit and bristly point. The posterior aperture of
the nares is 4 twelfths long, linear, papillate on tho.
edges, ending abruptly at its fore part, without a
prolonged fissure. (Esophagus, a, a, S, 2 inches f)
twelfths long, funnel-shaped for half an inch, then
cylindrical and nearly 4 twelfths in diameter, until
it enters the thorax. Proventriculus, e, 3-À twelfths
in diameter, and with a belt of oblong glandules.
Stomach c, d, elliptical, 7£ twelfths long, 6 twelfths
broad, its lateral muscles of moderate strength, the .
lower not distinct; the epithelium with broad longitudinal
ruga!, and of a dark reddish-brown colour.
Intestine, 7 inches long, its diameter; at the
anterior part 3i twelfths, gradually diminishing to:
twelfth. Coeca extremely small, 1 twelfth long,
4 twelfth broad, and 1] inch distant from the anus ;
cloaca 2, globular.
Trachea I inch 10 twelfths long, tapering from
a diameter of 2 twelfths to 1 twelfth ; the rings.ossified and firm, about
70 in number ; the lateral and sterno-tracheal muscles slender; the inferior
laryngeal muscles are strong but very short, forming a prominent
knob, and attached to the first bronchial ring. Bronchi wide, of about
20 half-rings,
The digestive organs of this bird, and of the Flycatchers in general,
do not differ materially from those of the Thrushes and Warblers. The
pharynx and oesophagus, however, are much wider.