OP NEW ENGLAND. 275 



either to reconnoitre, or to feed from some flock of gnats who 

 are likewise liovering and swarming in the air. They bathe by 

 plunging into the water, after which they fly to some twig, and 

 dress their plumage. They perch rather erectly, and rarely 

 alight upon the ground, unless to pick up something for their 

 nests. 



(d). Their notes are shrill twitters, which often resemble 

 those of the swallows. They are loud, sharp, and rather ve- 

 hement. Among them may be heard the syllable king, which 

 constantly recurs. Though the King-birds are plainly dressed, 

 and though the}' have no song, they are entitled to both our 

 respect and affection. 



II. MYIARCHUS 



(A) CKiNiTUS. Great Crested Flycatcher. 



(In New England, a rather rare summer-resident.) 



(a). About nine inches long. Crown-feathers erectile, often 

 forming a loose crest, and dark-centred. Above, " dull green- 

 ish olive," inclining to dusky on the wings and tail. Beneath, 

 pale yellow; but throat gray (or " pale ash"). Tail-feathers, 

 largely chestnut ; primaries edged with the same. (Rest of 

 the wing with much white edging, forming two inconspicuous 

 bars. Outer tail-feathers edged with 3'ellow.) 



(&). The nest and eggs differ strikingly from those of all 

 our other birds. The nest, which in New England is finished 

 in the first or second week of June, may be found in woods or 

 orchards. It consists of a few materials, placed in the hollow 

 of a tree, among which cast-off snake-skins are almost inva- 

 riably to be found. The eggs of each set are four or five, and 

 average about l-OOX'75 of an inch. They are buff or creamy, 

 spotted with lilac, and curiously streaked, or " scratched," 

 with purplish and a winy brown. 



(c). The Great Crested Flycatchers are summer-residents in 

 all the Slates of New England, but they are apparently no- 

 where common. They reach Massachusetts about the middle 

 of Ma}', and ordinarily remain there four months, but once, so 

 late as the first of November, I saw one not far from Boston, 



