TYRANNID^ — THE FLYCATCHERS. 371 



ill August, 1869, and in the townsliip of Newiy, Me., in June, 1871. Their 

 favorite haunts were tlie dense alder tliickets along the runs and small 

 streams, over tliese dark retreats, perched on some tall dead branch, fidl in 

 the rays of the noonday sun. The male sang vigorously, occasionally 

 darting out after some insect, and returning to the same perch. His song 

 consisted of a single dissyllabic refrain, ke'ioing, uttered in a harsh peevish 

 tone at an interval of about thirty seconds, varied occasionally to kcvjink, 

 or hi-winch. At each utterance his head is thrown ujiwards with a sudden 

 jerk. They were retiring, but not shy, were easily approached, and were 

 apparently not so restless as most Flycatchers. 



Near Washington, Dr. Cones found Traill's Flycatcher a rare spring and 

 fall visitant, a few possibly remaining to breed. They came about the last 

 of April, and passed south the last of September. Professor Baird frequently 

 met with them about Carlisle, Pa.' 



In Southern Illinois, Mr. Kidgway has found this species a rather common 

 summer resident, chiefly met with in tlie open woods. It was found nesting 

 in Northwestern Massachusetts by Mr. A. Hopkins, in Illinois by Mr. Tolman, 

 in New Brunswick by ilr. Barnstow, and at Fort Itesolution by Messrs. 

 Kennicott, Eoss, and Lockhart. 



I have myself found this species on the banks of the Androscoggin 

 and Peabody Elvers in Gorham, and met with several of their nests. 

 They were all in similar situations, and it was quite impossible to obtain 

 a glimpse of the bird after she had left her nest. The nests were all made 

 like those of the Indigo-Bird, externally of dry grasses and fine strips of 

 bark, and lined with finer stems of grasses. The eggs were fi%'e in number, 

 and incubation commenced about the first of June. I have discovered their 

 nests at the same time among the toot-hills at the base of Mount Washington, 

 its wooded sides being, at the time, covered with snow to the deptli of 

 several feet. 



Among the memoranda of ]\Ir. Kennicott I find one dated Fort Eesolution, 

 July 9, mentioning the procuring of the parent nest and egg of this species. 

 Tiie nest was three feet from the ground, in a small spruce among thick low 

 bushes. The female was shot on the nest, which contained two young and 

 two eggs. Eggs of this species from Gorham, N. H., and Coventry and 

 Eandolph, Vt., do not essentially vary in size or shape. They measure 

 .63 of an inch in length, by ..56 in breadth. Their ground-color is white, 

 with a distinctly roseate tinge. They are oval in shape, a little less obtuse 

 at one end, and marked almost entirely about the larger end with large and 

 well-defined spots and blotches of purplish-brown. 



