. _Myiodynastes luteiventris._

Range.--Mexico and Central America, breeding north to the Mexican border
of Arizona.

This peculiar Flycatcher, which is unlike any other American species,
can only be regarded as a rare breeding bird in the Huachuca Mts. It is
8 inches in length, has a grayish back streaked with black, the tail
largely rusty brown and the underparts sulphur yellow, streaked on the
breast and sides with dusky; a yellow crown patch is bordered on either
side by a stripe of mottled dusky, and is separated from the blackish
patch through the eye, by white superciliary lines. Their habits are
similar to those of the genus Myiarchus, and, like them, they nest in
cavities in trees, and lay from three to five eggs of a creamy buff
color thickly spotted and blotched with brown and purplish, the markings
not assuming the scratchy appearance of the Crested Flycatchers, but
looking more like those of a Cardinal; size of egg 1.05 x .75.
Data.--Huachuca Mts., Arizona, June 29, 1901. 4 eggs. Nest in the
natural cavity of a live sycamore tree about fifty feet from the ground;
composed of twigs. Collector, O. W. Howard.

452. CRESTED FLYCATCHER. _Myiarchus crinitus._

Range.--North America, east of the Plains, and from New Brunswick and
Manitoba southward; winters from the Gulf States southward.

This trim and graceful, but quarrelsome, species is grayish on the head,
neck, and breast, shading to greenish on the back and quite abruptly
into bright yellow on the underparts; the head is slightly crested and
the inner webs of all the lateral tail feathers are reddish brown. They
are abundant in most of their range but are generally shy so they are
not as often seen as many other more rare birds. They nest in cavities
of any kind of trees and at any elevation from the ground, the nest
being made of twigs, weeds and trash, and generally having incorporated
into its make-up a piece of cast off snake skin. They lay from four to
six eggs of a buffy color, blotched and lined with dark brown and
lavender. Size .85 x .65.

[Illustration 287: Creamy buff.]
[Illustration: Crested Flycatcher.]
[Illustration: Buff.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]

Page 286

453. ARIZONA CRESTED FLYCATCHER. _Myiarchus magister magister._

Range.--Southern Arizona and New Mexico, south through Mexico.

This bird is very similar to, but averages slightly larger than the
Mexican Flycatcher. Its nesting habits are the same and the eggs ca