Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 535 



The nest is composed of twigs and moss placed in a tree, usually 

 near the extremity of a limb. The eggs are from four to five, pale 

 lavender white, spotted at the larger end with rusty brown and lilac 

 gray, and measure about .84 x .62 inches. 



Genus MYIOCHANES Cabanis & Heine. 



210. Myiochanes virens (Linn.). 



Wood Pewee. 



Contopus virens (Linn.), A. O. U. Check List, 1895, p. 186. 



Distr.: Eastern North America, from the Plains to the Atlantic 

 and from southern Canada to the Gulf; south in winter to Mexico, 

 Central America, and northern South America. Breeds in eastern 

 North America from Florida to Newfoundland. 



Adult: Wing, longer than tail; under mandible, pale yellowish 

 brown; upper mandible, brownish black; back, brownish olive; 

 crown, dark olive brown, shading into the lighter color of the back; 

 throat and belly, dull yellowish white; breast and sides of body, gray 

 or olive gray; wings and tail, dark brown, the wing coverts narrowly 

 edged with whitish. 



Immature birds have the wing coverts edged with pale buff. 



Length, 6.60; wing, 3.30; tail, 2.60; bill, .50. 



The Wood Pewee Flycatcher is a common summer resident in 

 Illinois and Wisconsin, usually arriving about the first of May. 



It breeds in June. The nest is on a limb of a tree, usually from 

 20 to 30 feet from the ground, and is composed of grass, twigs, and 

 moss, covered with green and gray lichens. The eggs are 3 to 4 in 

 number, cream white or buff white, spotted at the larger end with 

 umber brown and lilac gray, and measure about .70 x .54 inches. 

 The Field Museum collection contains several sets of eggs taken in 

 northern Illinois between June 2 and June 23. The notes of the 

 Wood Pewee are very varied, but the most characteristic is the oft- 

 repeated, high, plaintive whistle, Pee-e-wee, from which it has derived 

 its name. 



2M. Myiochanes richardsonii (Swains.). 



Western Wood Pewee. 



Contopus richardsonii (Swains.), A. O. U. Check List, 1895, p. 186. 



Distr.: "Western United States, from the Plains to the Pacific, 

 north to British Columbia and the interior of British America, south 

 through Central America to Colombia." (A. O. U.) 



