“This bird was first seen at Charco Escondido, in Tamaulipas, on the tenth of March. The male had evidently preceded the female in his arrival, as the latter was not observed until several weeks afterwards. Early in the morning, and again about sunset, he came to the artificial lake that is constructed here for the supplying of water to the inhabitants, and appeared to be of a very quiet and inoffensive disposition, usually sitting on the upper branches of the trees, occasionally uttering a low chirp. Subsequently, it was met with in Nueva Leon, though I had little opportunity of observing its habits. It appeared, however, to be in some respects similar in its manners to the smaller species of the Northern Flycatchers.”
Dr. Henry has also met with the present bird in the vicinity of Fort Webster, New Mexico. He represents it, however, as of exceedingly rare occurrence, so far as he has observed, and fully confirms the statements given above, respecting its partiality for the neighborhood of water. His first specimen, a male in full plumage, was obtained on the Rio Miembres, near Fort Webster, in the month of March, 1853.
DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Genus Pyrocephalus. Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 44. (1841.)
General form compact and rather heavy; bill depressed, wide at base, rather long, acute, with an indentation near the tip of the upper mandible, and with several pairs of bristles at its base; wing long, the second and third quills longest, and nearly equal; tail ample, wide; tarsi rather long, slender; toes moderate or short. The species generally have the feathers of the head above lengthened and crest-like, and with other parts of the plumage of a fine scarlet color. An American genus of Flycatchers inhabiting the southern portion of the northern and nearly the whole of the southern division of this continent.
Pyrocephalus rubineus. (Boddaert.) Muscicapa rubineus. Bodd., Tab. dez Pl. Enl. Buff., p. 42. (1783.) Muscicapa coronata. Gm., Syst. Nat., II. p. 932. (1788.)
Form. Head above, from the base of the bill to the occiput, with long crest-like feathers. General form rather broad and robust; wings and tail long; legs slender.
Dimensions. Male. Total length (of skin), about 5½ inches; wing, 3¼; tail, 2½ inches.
Colors. Adult Male. Long feathers of the head above, and entire under parts, fine scarlet; brightest on the top of the head, palest on the under tail-coverts. Upper parts of the body, line from behind the eye, wings and tail, sepia brown; bill and feet dark. Under wing-coverts frequently edged and tipped with pale red.
Female. Entire upper parts plain sepia brown; under parts yellowish-white, with a few longitudinal lines of brown.