Olive-sided Flycatcher or Pe-pe, Muscicapa Cooperi, Nuttall, Manual, part i. p. 282.
Adult Male. Plate CLXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill of moderate length, stout, straight, broad at the base, and tapering, compressed only close to the tip; both mandibles with the dorsal line very slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges nearly straight, sharp, inclinate; a slight notch close to the small deflected tip. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish, partly covered by the bristly feathers. Head rather large, neck short, body rather slender. Feet short; tarsus compressed, covered anteriorly with a few broad scutella; toes of moderate size, the hind one not proportionally larger, the inner a little shorter than the outer; claws rather long, arched, much compressed, very acute.
Plumage soft and blended, with little gloss. Strong bristles at the base of the upper mandible. Wings rather long, second quill longest, first longer than third, second and third slightly cut out on the outer web; the primaries tapering and rounded. Tail of ordinary length, emarginate, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill blackish-brown above, the lower mandible brownish-yellow, with the tip dusky. Iris dark hazel. Feet dusky, claws brownish-black. The whole upper parts, with the cheeks and sides of the neck, dusky brown; quills and tail blackish-brown, the secondaries margined with brownish-white. A stripe of greyish-white runs down the fore-neck from the bill, and joins the white of the breast and abdomen, the latter being tinged with yellow; the sides dusky grey.
Length 7½ inches, extent of wings 12¾; bill along the ridge 8⁄12, along the edge 1 3⁄12; tarsus 7⁄12.
Adult Female. Plate CLXXIV. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the Male, but has the lower parts of a duller hue.
This species is nearly allied to the King Bird and the Grey Tyrant, from both of which, however, it is readily distinguished.