The single known species is glossy black in the male; the female brownish-ash.
Phænopepla nitens, Sclater.
SHINING-CRESTED FLYCATCHER.
Ptiliogonys nitens, Sw. An. in Menag. 1838, 285.—Bon. Consp. 1850, 335.—Heermann, Jour. A. N. Sc. Phila. II, 1853, 263.—Cassin, Ill. Birds Texas, etc. 1854, 169, pl. xxix. Cichlopsis nitens, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 320, 923. Phænopepla nitens, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1858, 543; 1864, 173 (City of Mexico).—Baird, Rev. Am. B. 1864, 416.—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 1870, 131. “Lepturus galeatus, Less.”
Sp. Char. (No. 8,275 ♂.) Tail broad, almost fan-shaped; graduated slightly; not at all emarginate, and longer than wing. First quill broad, slightly falcate, scarcely attenuated; more than half the second, which about equals the tenth; sixth longest; third equal to seventh. Feathers on nape rather full, with a lengthened, pointed, narrow, occipital crest.
Male (No. 8,275) entirely glossy greenish-black; the inner webs of all the primary quills with a large, lengthened patch of white, which does not reach the inner margin; their outer webs very narrowly edged with ashy, as are also lateral tail-feathers externally.
Female (No. 8,274) brownish-ash, paler below; the white of inner webs of quills obsolete; the greater coverts and quills edged externally with whitish, the anal and crissal feathers edged and tipped with the same; the outer tail-feather with narrow edge of white externally towards end.
Immature birds show every gradation of color between the two extremes described above.
Total length, 7.60; wing, 3.80; tail, 4.35; length of bill from forehead, .46, from nostril .31, along gape, .66; tarsus, .70; middle toe and claw, .65.
