56 C. H. Merriarn — Birds of Connecticut 



August," by my friend, Mr. H. W. Henshaw, who, in his recent excel- 

 lent work on the birds of that region, observes that " Its favorite 

 perching places are the tops of tlie high pine stubs. From these sta- 

 tions it makes frequent sallies after passing insects, and seems rarely 

 to miss its prey. When thus engaged, the clicking noise of its bill 

 may be heard quite a distance. About the first of June, in southern 

 Colorado, they had all mated, and each pair maintained a most 

 jealous watch over the neighborhood chosen as its summer residence, 

 never allowing the intrusion of the larger birds to pass unnoticed. 

 The loud call notes of the male are, at this season, almost incessantly 

 repeated."* Mr. Henshaw also states that " specimens were taken 

 near Camp Apache [Arizona] in July, which doubtless were ])reed- 

 ing," and that he " found it almost as numerous in eastern Arizona, 

 quite far to the south, as in Colorado." 



Numerous specimens have been taken in C-olorado l)y Allen, f Hen- 

 shaw, Aiken, Trippe, and others. Regarding its occurrence at Idaho 

 Springs, Colorado, T. Martin Trippe writes Dr. Cones that "It is 

 quite uncommon, only three or four pairs having been observed 

 throughout the summer, and these at widely different points, each pair 

 apparently monopolizing a wide range. It keeps in the tops of the 

 trees, and is an active flycatcher ; its noise is loud and distinct ; and 

 its nest is placed in the to]) of a pine, and jealously guarded from all 

 intrusion with as much fierceness and energy as the Kingbinrs."! 

 It is given by Snow as " rare in western Kansas."§ Notices of its 

 occurrence in Utah have been published by Allen " several seen 

 among the cottonwoods along Weber River", || Henshaw,!^ Ridgway 

 "breeding in Parley's Park, Wahsatch Mts.",** Nelson (who 

 " obtained one specimen from the top of a dead pine," among tlie 

 mountains, thirty miles south of Fort l)ridger),ff and myself ;J.| 



* Report upon the Ornithological Collections made in portions of Nevada, Utah, 

 California, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizonia, during the years 1871, 1872, 1873 

 and 1874. By H. W. Henshaw. Forming Chapter III of the Zo(")logical Volume 

 published under the direction of Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, in charge of tlie Geographi- 

 cal and Geological Explorations and Surveys west of the 100th meridian, p. 3.50. 

 Washington. 1875. 



f Bulletin Museum Oomp. Zool. Cambridge, vol. iii, No. f>, p. 1.58. 1872. 



X In Cones' Birds of the Northwest, p. 245. 1874. 



§ Catalogue of the Birds of Kansas. By F. 11. Snow. 3d ed., p. 8. 1875. 



II Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Cambridge, vol. iii. No. C, pp. 109, 179. 1872. 



^ Report upon Ornithological Specimens, pp. 22, 46. Wash. 1874. 



** Bull. Essex Inst, vol. vii. No. 2, p. 33. Feb., 1875. 



■j-f Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. xvii, p. 344. Jan., 1875. 



:{::{; Sixth Annual Report U. S. Geol. Survey of the Territories for the year 1872. 

 p. 691. 



