YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 265 



Gkxls EMPIDOXAX Cahaxis. 

 EMPIDONAX FLAVrVENTRIS Baiim). 



190. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. {U\:\) 



Al)f)ve, olive-green, clear contiimoii.s and unitoini as in ara<lirii.<, or even 

 brighter ; below, not merely yclloiri.th, as in the succeeding, lint emphatically 

 ydloir, bright and pure on the belly, shaded on the sides and anteriorly with 

 a palei' tint of the color of the back ; eye-rings and wing-markings, yellow ; 

 under mandible, j-ellow ; feet, black. In resj)ect of color, this species ilifFers 

 materially fi-oni all the rest ; none of thcni, even in their autumnal yellowest, 

 quite match it. Size of Iraillii or rather less ; feet, propoitioned as in 

 acadicKs; 1)111, neaily as in iiiiiiiiiiiis. l)ut rather larger; fii-st quill, usually equal 

 to sixth. 



Hah. Kastern Xortii Ameiica to the Plains, and fioni Southern Labrailor 

 south through Kastern Mexico to Panama, l)recding fiom the Northern States 

 northward. 



Nest, in a moss\- bank, comjjosed mostly of moss, with a few twigs and 

 withered leaves, and line<l with black wiry rootlets and dry grass. 



Eggs, four, creamy-white, spotted and blotched with reddisli brown and a 

 few black markings chiefly near the larger end. 



Several of tlie small Flycatchers resemble each other .so closel}' 

 that it is often difficult for the general observer to identify them 

 correctly. The clear yellow of the under parts of the present species 

 serves to distinguish it from the other.s, but it is everywhere scarce 

 and little known except to collectors. 



Near Hamilton, I have noticed one oi' two every spring, and some- 

 times the same number in the fall. During the summer it has not 

 been observed. 



It is only within tlie past five years that coi-rect infoi'mation has 

 been obtained regarding the nest and eggs of this species, one of the 

 first and best descriptions being given by Mr. Purdie in the Nuttall 

 Bulletin for October-, 1878. The nest in this case was placed among 

 the roots of an upturned tree. 



All the nests I have seen described have been found in Maine, 

 but the species will no doubt yet be found breeding in Ontario and 

 elsewhere in the interior. 



In the "Birds of Maniloba," Mr. Thomp.son has the following: 

 "Duck Mountain, June 11th, 1884. — Shot a Flycatcher, which was 

 uttering continually a note like ' rhe/' hfic' It was all over of a 

 greenish color, but yellow on the bellv. It answers fairly well the 



