Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 137 



The only available records of its occurrence in Missouri are 

 supplied by Mr. Thaddeus Surber, who took one specimen at 

 Stotesbury, Vernon Co., April 15, 1894, and by Mr. H. Nehrling, 

 who met with the species at Freistatt, Lawrence Co., in the 

 early eighties and considered it fairly common. 



*452. Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). Crested Flycatcher. 



Muscicapa crinita. Tyrannies crinitus. Great Crested Flycatcher. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, north to New Brunswick, 

 southern Quebec, Ontario and eastern Manitoba; west to Minne- 

 sota, eastern Nebraska, Kansas, Indian Territory and south- 

 western Texas. Migrates through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica, 

 Panama and Columbia. 



In Missouri a common summer resident in all parts of the state. 

 Originally a denizen of the forest it is changing its habits to con- 

 form with the state of civilization and is taking up its abode 

 in parks, cemeteries, groves, wood patches, orchards and even 

 in the shade trees of villages and suburbs. Where suitable bird 

 boxes are put up, it accepts them for nesting sites, and when the 

 indispensable snake skin is wanting it uses paraffine or tissue 

 paper to cover its eggs during a temporary absence. The return 

 from winter quarters takes place with great regularity during 

 the fourth week of April, seldom delayed to the first week in 

 May, when the species is usually in full numbers and very noisy. 

 It departs in fall during the first half of September, the last being 

 noticed about September 20 (September 21, 1885 and 1887, 

 St. Louis). 



*456. Sayornis PHOEBE (Linn.). Phoebe. 



Muscicapa phoebe. Muscicapa fusca. Tyrannus fuscus. Muscicapa atra. 

 Tyrannula or Muscicapa nunciola. Sayornis fuscus. Bridge-pewee . 

 Phoebe-bird. 



Geog. Dist. — From eastern Mexico and Cuba north through 

 Eastern United States to Newfoundland and the southern prov- 

 inces of Canada, in the interior to 56° 30' lat.; west to Alberta 

 and in the United States to eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, 

 rarely to Wyoming and Colorado. Breeds from South Carolina 

 and Arkansas northward and winters from the South Atlantic 

 and Gulf States southward. 



In Missouri a fairly common summer resident, breeding in all 

 parts of the state, as far south as the southern border, but more 



