PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 425 



its bill. About a week later I found a youug bird which could scarcely 

 fly and which, on being caught, proved very pugnacious. Its song is a 

 loud prolonged " three deer,'' the last syllable being much shorter than 

 the first. Both are occasionally prefaced with a short note m a lower 

 key Its other very common, not unmusical notes, I once copied with 

 the syllables ^^ elm-clm-eJm'' ^ again, ^^pu-pii-pu''^ again, ^'pip-pip'\ the 

 notes apparentlv varying with the individual. These notes follow each 

 other rapidly, sometimes consisting of groups of two, usually of three, 

 occasionaUy of four, a call almost invariably ending with groups ot the 

 same number as that with which it began. It is usually uttered from 

 the top of a dead tree, often two humU-ed feet from the ground. It 

 appears to prefer the tops of the tallest dead trees as a foragmg centre. 

 They utter notes while chasing one another, which I once described as 

 resembling those of Flickers, but I am not now satisfied with that de- 

 scription. . 



73993 

 7531G 

 75317 



_ ad.j *BLg Trees ^£'7' 1878 



o ad .do ' J"iy ' ' '■^'°. 



} ad. ::::::do juiy i6,i878 



*105. Contopus richardsoai, (Swains.).— Wcsiem Wood Pewce. 



This species was first noticed at Stockton during the spring of 1878, 

 on May 9, soon after which it became common in all suitable localities. 

 It is common in the pine forests in summer. It was rare at Murphy's 

 August 27, and was not seen at Stockton in September or later. 



7399.5 do i ^J"™'^. {^^^ 



74454 ^Stockton 1 ^a.\ ^■''}%i.l 



76602 Murphy's Sept.— ,lb<b 



-106. Empidonax difficilis, Biuvd.^-irestoi-a Fdlow-hellied Flycatcher. 



Only two of these birds were recogidzed at Stockton in the spring of 

 1878, the first being noticed on May 1. Two or three were seen at Big 

 Trees in July and August. These were in willows at the head of ravnies, 

 near springs. Those seen at Stockton were in opent oak groves. 



75318 



cf ad.i Bl- Trees \ J"ly 27,1878 



*107. Empidonax pu^illus, (Swains.).— X(7//t; Flycalcher. 



This is a common summer resident at Stockton and Marysville. It 

 seems invariably confined to willow thickets, and to occur wherever they 

 do, whether in valley s or mountains. 



~ -In lav report on the Ornithology of the U. S. Geological Exploration ot the 40th 

 Parallel'(Clarence King), p. 544, I considered this bird as specifically distinct Ironi L. 

 naviventris, chiefly on acconnt of snpposed great difierences in the location and charac- 

 er of the nest and eggs. Facts subsequently hronght to light, hov.evei-, b>;^Messr8. 

 H \ Purdie and S. D. Osborne (see Bull. Kittt Orn. Cluh, Oct. 1878, pp. 160. If,. ), show 

 that the two do not differ in these particulars. Notwithstanding this, the dittcrence be- 

 tween the two forms iu coloration and proportions is so marked that There sliouia 

 never be any difficulty in easily distinguishing them.— E. E. 

 tThat is, not darkly shaded, the trees scattering, and with no undergrowth. 



