VOL. I1.] Nesting Place of Empidonax. 105 
towns especially to build, even deserting the woods, and building 
nests in most unusual and unexpected places about houses. An in- 
stance of very extreme departure from original habits is that of the 
European. stork, which for several centuries has built on the chim- 
ney-stacks of cities, being driven to them by the increasing scarcity 
of suitable tall trees, and protected by a commendable superstition, 
as the bringer of good luck to the inhabitants. 
There is no doubt that with some protection, many useful birds 
will become thus semi-domesticated, and be really sources of good 
luck through their destruction of insects, as well as giving pleasure 
by their songs. 
The instance I now describe is one in which the bird is among 
our rarest species near the coast, and also of a timid, shy, nature, 
being generally found in retired shady groves. 
The family of flycatchers to which this bird belongs is, however, 
known to have some very sociable members, which build in barns, 
under porches, bridges, etc., as substitutes for the hollow trees and ~ 
caves which they occupy in favorable places. These belong, how- 
over, to other genera, containing larger species, and probably never 
build in or on branches of trees, or in their forks, like those of this 
genus. The arboreal residence characterises nearly all of the genus 
Empidonax, of which nine or ten species and subspecies inhabit 
the United States in summer. 
The chief exception is in the western yellow-bellied flycatcher 
(E. difficilis), which often builds in a hollow tree or branch, 
a slight cavity in the bark, a hole in the bank of a stream, 
under a bridge, or in a shed or barn; probably never in a forked 
branch. This then is the most likely to resort to houses to build, 
and as it is the commonest summer species in the coast counties, 
such an event may be expected, though not yet reported. All the 
numerous nests of it seen by me were near running streams, and in 
well-shaded spots. That it is not more familiar in such localities 
_ makes the occurrence here reported still more remarkable. 
-Hammond’s flycatcher seems to be the most timid as well as 
Vee enialiens of the genus found in California (smaller than the so-called 
“‘little” flycatcher). Its most frequent residence appears from all 
. a oe accounts to be the pine woods of the most eastern ranges of mount- 
ae _ains: (west of the Mississippi), but it has been collected at Monterey. 
ie In the ey of California I confused it with the little fly- 
