Jan., 1918] Status uf Empido mix Traillii 89 



identification of the type specimen, now, as then, preserved in 

 the United States National Museum. Mr. Brewster mentions* 

 three specimens in the United States National Museum marked 

 as types of Muscicapa traillii Audubon; viz., Nos. UGO, 1865, and 

 2039. The first of these, No. 900, is now not to be found in 

 the collection, but it was entered as Tyranmila minima [Empi- 

 donax minimus] in Baird's own handwriting in the original 

 catalogue of his collection, which formed the beginning of the 

 National Museum bird register. Without much doubt, there- 

 fore, "No. 900" in Mr. Brewster's article is a typographical 

 error for No. 2960, which is still in the National Museum col- 

 lection, and is one of the two birds still marked with a red type 

 label. Of these two supposed types of Muscicapa traillii 

 Audubon, one is No. 1865, U. S. Nat. Mus., likewise the same 

 number of the original Baird collection ; and it is also one of the 

 three specimens mentioned by Mr. Brewster. This bird, 

 together with another, numbered 1866, were entered by Pro- 

 fessor Baird in his catalogue in January, 1845. On the label 

 of No. 1865 there is the following inscription in Baird's own 

 handwriting, the " (N) " indicating that the specimen was 

 received from Audubon : 



Tyranmila trailli Aud. 

 186.5 rx) 



This specimen, considered alone, is without any doubt 

 referable to the eastern race, and it agrees absolutely with a 

 specimen. No. 165385, U. S. Nat. Mus., from Mountain Lake 

 Park, Maryland, collected, July 3, 1899, by E. A. Preble; the 

 only observable difference, and this slight, being its rather more 

 yellowish posterior lower parts, very slightly duller wing-bars, 

 and partly darker, somew^hat more greenish upper surface. 

 It is in somewhat Avorn breeding plumage, but it is about as 

 near a match for this Maryland bird as is any bird in our series. 

 It measures as follows: wing, 73.5 mm.; tail, 58; exposed 

 culmen, 11.2; tarsus, 18; middle toe wdthout claw, 9. The 

 original locality of Audubon's Muscicapa traillii, as given by 

 him,t is the "Skirts of the woods along the prairie lands of the 

 Arkansas river." Mr. A. H. Howell has recently collected 



*Auk, XII, No. 2, April, 1S9.5, p. 160. 

 tOrnith. Biog., I, 1831, p. 236. 



