TTRANOTD^ — THE FLYCATCHERS. 377 



eggs, ami is incorrect as to its northern clistributiou. He speaks of it as 

 extremely pugnacious, chasing from its j^remises every intruder, and when 

 once mated seldom leaving the vicinity of its nest except in pursuit of 

 food. His description of the nest applies to that of the minivuis, but ]iot 

 to that of this species. 



Mr. Eidgway writes lue that in Southern Illinois it is the most abundant 

 of the Empidonaccs, lireediug in the same woods with E. trailli. It is so 

 exceedingly similar to that species in manners and general habits that they 

 are hard to distinguisli, and it re(|uires a long acquaintance with tlie two 

 in the woods to learn to distinguish them when seen or heard. A elo.se 

 attention, however, shows that the notes of the two are quite distinct. 



Mr. Dresser mentions finding this species not uncommon near San An- 

 tonio, Texas, during the summer. Its stomach was found to contain small 

 insects. Dr. Woodhouse also speaks of it as common in Texas, New 

 Mexico, and the Indian Territory, but at what season is not mentioned. 



Dr. Hoy writes me that this bird, quite common about Eacine some 

 twenty-five years ago, has now almost entirely disappeared. 



Near Washington Dr. Cor;es found tliis Flycatcher a common summer 

 resident, the most abundant of tlie kind, and the only one that breeds there 

 in any numbers. They arrive the last of April, and remain until the last 

 of September. 



A beautiful nest of this species was fomid by Mr. George 0. Welch near 

 Indianapolis, Indiana. It was fully identified, and the jiarent shot. This 

 nest has a diameter of four inches, and a height of two. Its base is com- 

 posed to a large extent of dried gi'asses, intermingled with masses of with- 

 ered blossoms of different herbaceous plants. Above tliis is constructed a 

 somewhat rudely interwoven nest, composed entirely of long, fine, wiry stems 

 of grasses. The cavity is two inches wide and less than one in depth. The 

 eggs, three in number, are exceedingly beautiful, and differ from all the 

 eggs of this genus, having more resemblance to those of Coiitopi. They 

 have an elongated o\'al shape, and are quite pointed at one end. They 

 measure .78 by .56 of an inch. Their ground is a rich cream-color, tinged 

 with a reddish-brown shading, and at the larirer end the eggs are irregularlv 

 marked with scattered and vivid blotches of red and reddish-brown. The 

 nest was found on the 3d of June. 



48 



