Wright's Flycatcher 277 



Distribution. — Breeding in the mountains of Colorado and California, 

 north to south-east Alaska ; south in winter through Mexico to 

 Guatemala. 



Hammond's Flycatcher is a rather uncommon summer resident in 

 the mountains of Colorado, and does not occur in the plains except on 

 migration. It has been recorded as follows : Gold Hill, Boulder co., 

 breeding 10,000 feet (Gale) ; Idaho Springs, 7,500 feet (Trippe), Dillon, 

 breeding at 9,000 feet (Carter), Pikes Peak and Turkey Creek, El Paso 

 CO. and Fremont co.. May 23rd (Aiken), Pueblo (Beckham), Salida, 

 May 21st (Frey), La Plata co., breeding (Gilman). 



Habits. — This is a silent and retiring bird of very 

 different disposition from its nearest relative, the Least 

 Flycatcher ; it affects the glens and recesses of the 

 mountains, and is to be met with in the alder bushes 

 along alpine streams. From time to time it makes a 

 dart at a passing insect, and quickly returns to its perch. 

 Dennis Gale found a nest at Gold Hill, on 27th June ; 

 it was saddled on the horizontal arm of a spruce, about 

 fourteen feet from the ground, and three feet from the 

 trunk ; the nest was solidly constructed with an outer 

 covering of old weed-stems, bark, etc, etc., and lined 

 within with fine bark, hair and a few feathers ; the eggs, 

 four in number, are creamy-white and generally 

 unspotted ; they measure '66 x '51. 



Wright's Flycatcher. Empidonax wrighti. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 469— Colorado Records— Allen 72, pp. 151, 

 158 {E. obscurus) ; Trippe 74, p. 258 ; Henshaw 75, p. 360 ; Scott 79, 

 p. 95 ; Tresz 81, p. 183 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 195 ; Drew 85, p. 17 ; 

 Morrison 89, p. 147; Kellogg 90, p. 90; Bendire 92, p. 318 (E. 

 wrighti) ; Lowe 94, p. 268 ; McGregor 97, p. 38 ; Cooke 97 pp. 89, 

 209 ; Henderson 03, p. 107 ; 09, p. 233 ; Rockwell 08, p. 167. 



Description. — Very similar to E. hammondi, but distinctly a larger 

 bird, though the wing is proportionately shorter ; bill much longer ; 

 tail and tarsus longer ; the outer (tenth) primary shorter than the 

 fifth ; ashy wash on breast slightly paler and less extended ; lower 

 mandible generally dark brown, but varying ; tail emarginate. Length 

 5-25; wing 2-75; tail 240 ; culmen -52 ; tarsus -69. 



Distribution.— Breeding in the Rocky Moim tains from Montana and 

 Oregon to Arizona and New Mexico ; in winter to southern California 

 and Mexico as far south as the State of Oaxaca. 



