254 EMPIDONAX MINIMUS, LEAST FLYCATCHEK. 



EMPIDONAX MINIMUS, Bd, 

 Least Flycatcher. 



Mitscicapa "acadica, Gm." of Nutt., Man. i, 1832, 288; not of authors. 



Tjjrantuda minima, W. M. & S. F. Baiud., Pr. Phila. Acad, i, 1843, 284; Am. Journ. Sci. 

 July, 1844.— Bp., Consp. Av. i, 1850, 190. 



Musciiapa minima. Aud., B. Am. vii, 1844, 343, pi. 491. 



Empidonaxmi)iimus,BD., B. N. A. 1858, 195.— Scl., P. Z. S. 1859, 384 (Oaxaca) ; Ibis. 

 1859, 122 (Guatemala) ; 18.59, 441 (Orizaba); Cat. 1862, 229 (Cobau, Duefias, 

 &c.).— Scl. &, Sai.v., Ibis, 18.59, 122.— Hayd., Rep. 18C2, 158.— Wheat., Ohio 

 Af>Tic. Rep. 1860, No. 51.— Couks & PijExNT., Smiths. Rep. 1861, 404 — Vekr., 

 Pr. Ess. Inst, iii, 146 (breeding commoulv about Norwav, Me.). — Au.EN, Pr. 

 Ess. Inst, vi, 1864, 54.— McIlwr., ibid, v, 1866, 84.— CouES, ibid, v, 1868, 265.— 

 Dkess., Ibis, 1865, 474 (Texas).— Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 290.— 

 TtTRNB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 14 (ehiefly migratory, but some breeding). — Allen, 

 Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1868, 498, 505. 517 (Iowa and Illinois).— Mayx., Guide, 1870, 

 126; Pr. Bost. Soc. 1871.— Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1870,837 (Honduras).— Sxow, 

 B. Kans. 1873, 4.— Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 179 (Kansas).- Coues, Key, 1872, 

 175.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. ii, 1874, 372, pi. 44, f. 10. 



Eah. — Eastern North America to the high central plains ; up the Missouri to Fort 

 Union. Breeds abundantly from Southern New England noi'thward. Winters in 

 Central America. 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition.— 4698, "Nebraska" (probably Dakota); 4699, 4700-1, 

 L'Eau qui court; 4702, Vermilion River; 5270, near Powder River. 



It is singular that a bird so abimdant as this is in the Eastern United 

 States should has'e been overlooked by Wilson and Audubon, or, what 

 is more probable, confounde<l with E. acadicus. Nuttall was perfectly 

 familiar with it, thoii.sfh he thought it was the Acadian Flycatcher. It, 

 however, escaped Audu])on's attention, having only been brought to his 

 notice, by Prof. Baird, just as he was finishing his work. It is very 

 common in the Middle States during the migrations. At Washington, 

 D. C, it usually arrives the last week in April, and is seen for about 

 two weeks only ; it returns the last of August, and loiters through most 

 of September. Its arrival is about a week earlier, on an average, than 

 that of E.flavirenfris. I never found it in summer, and Prof. Baird, in 

 Audubon, states that it is not seen about Carlisle, Pennsylvania, after 

 ]\Iay ; but Dr. Turnbull says that a few remain to breed. It breeds 

 abundantly in most parts of New England ; in Massachusetts Mr. Allen 

 found it as numerous as all the other Empidonaces put together. Some 

 individuals press on into the Hudson's Baj' country, and in the West 

 its extension is much greater than that of typical traillii oy flaviventris, 

 particularly along the Missouri itself, and the Eed Biver, where the 

 wooded river-bottou)s aflbrd it congenial shelter. Br. Hayden saw it 

 occasionally "throughout the West,'' and Audubon mentions it from 

 the Yellowstone. Like others of the genus, it penetrates to Central 

 and Northern Sonth America in winter, and it is also quoted from por- 

 tions of Mexico. 



It is not ordinarily found in gloomy woods, like E. acadicus, nor even 

 in heavy timber of any kind ; it prefers the skirts of woods, (coppices, and 

 even hedge-rows. It is readily distinguishable from acadicus by this 

 circumstance alone, to say nothing of the several personal peculiarities — 

 so to speak — slight traits, almost impossible to describe intelligently, 

 but which the field naturalist learns to recognize in a moment. Its 

 usual voice is lower and more jdaintive, though one of its call-notes is 

 sharp and jerky ; and its flight is slightly ditferent, owing to the marked 

 difference in the shape of the wing, in all these particulars it comes 

 much nearer traillii ami Jfaviventns, as has been already hinted. 



The Least Flycat(;her is more numerous during the breeding season 

 along the Bed Bixer of the North than I have found it to be anywhere 



