76 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



under parts are sulphur-yellow, somewhat 

 washed on the sides with olive-green. Their 

 stay is short, scarcely more than three months, 

 and the end of August sees them journeying 

 southward again. 



Olive-sided Flycatcher. Another Flycatcher 

 that is known only as a transient visitor in 

 the Middle States, but as a summer resident 

 in Massachusetts and other Northern States, 

 is the Olive-sided Flycatcher. These birds 

 arrive in the vicinity of New York City toward 

 the end of May, and are seen on some tall tree, 

 on the lookout, as ever, for passing insects. 

 They pass along quickly to the nesting ground 

 among the dark forests of the North where they 

 arrive soon after June i. These Flycatchers 

 construct in a tall evergreen tree a beautiful 

 nest of moss lined with fine rootlets and covered 

 with green lichens, so closely resembling a knot 

 that from the ground it is almost impossible to 

 distinguish it. The eggs vary in number from 

 two to four and are very beautiful, a creamy 

 white spotted with brown and purple. 



The notes of the Olive-sided are plaintive, 

 "^w pu, pu pu, pu pip, " oft repeated as they sit 

 on some lofty lookout which commands a good 

 view of the immediate landscape. They appear 

 like the Kingbird in temper, jealously darting 

 at any bird, large or small, that comes within 

 the limits of their domains. The plumage is 

 olive-brown above, with clove-brown on the 

 wings and tail; the throat, middle of belly and 

 line in center of breast are whitish. There is a 

 tuft of yellowish-white feathers on either flank, 



