62 The Ottawa Naturalist, [J^ly 



route seems to be along water-courses. A pair of these 

 birds will vigorously drive other birds from their hunting 

 grounds, and they displa}' special hatred to crows and hawks, 

 attacking them if they come near the home of the kingbird. 

 They fly along above their enemies and swoop down at them, 

 constantly uttering their shrill cry of rage. The large birds are 

 thus e.'^corted to some distance. 



The kingbird arrives in central New Brunswick from the 

 south about the middle of May. The thirteenth, fifteenth a,nd 

 eighteenth are dates of arrival for three years. They depart 

 again about the first of September. Nest building begins in 

 June, and fiom three to five eggs are laid in a nest built of coarse 

 dried grass stems, intermixed with w^ool. The eggs and young 

 are zealously guarded by the parent birds, who raise a great 

 outcry if the nest is molested. The food of the kingbird consists 

 largely of insects, especially injurious to the welfare of man. 

 Some wild fruits are eaten, and but very little cultivated fruit or 

 berries are ever touched. 



The Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) is of rare 

 occurrence here. Some have been observed in August when on 

 the southward migration, and at that time were frequenting the 

 tops of dead trees that reached high above the surrounding forest. 

 The top of a very tall dead hemlock tree was a favorite stand, and 

 from this they would dash swiftly for a distance of fully one 

 hundred yards to capture some insect. Since this tree was 

 blown over, some half-dozen years ago, we have never seen the 

 birds. This species is reported to pass the summer season near 

 Woodstock, Carleton Co., N.B. 



The Phoebe (Sayornis pJioebe) is the earhest of the ily- 

 catchers to arrive from the south, and is due to arrive from the 

 middle of April until the first of May, according to the state of the 

 weather, w^hir^h regulates the supply of insects upon which they 

 feed. I have never observed the phoebe here in summer, nor 

 during the autumn migration. In sioring their favorite resort is 

 along water-courses bordered by low" lands upon which grow elm 

 trees. Among the elm tree-tops and near them they find many 

 insects to their liking, after which they swiftly dart, snapping 

 their bills as they capture the insects. Then returning to their 

 place of observation, give vent to their feelings in utterance of 

 discordant harsh calls somewhat resembling the name of the bird 

 phoebe. So closely do they follow the larger streams in this 

 section that T have never observed them a mile from streams that 

 are bordered by elm grown intervals. 



The Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus horealis) is dis- 

 tributed throughot;t the wooded tracts of the province. In no 



