254 BULLETIN 17 9, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Pedro Martir Mr. Anthony found it "very common all over the mountain, es- 

 pecially along the streams and in the vpillows. It was evidently nesting" at the 

 time of his "visit in May, but no eggs were taken." He also states that it occurs 

 sparingly near the mine and about the mission at San Fernando, where he thinks 

 it nests "in the thick mesquite growth." It probably replaces E. difflcilia in the 

 breeding season throughout the greater part of Lower California. 



J. S. Kowley has sent me the following notes on his experience 

 with the San Lucas flycatcher: "Wliile camped at La Laguna, atop 

 the Sierra de la Laguna, from May 23 to 28, 1933, I took three sets 

 of four eggs and one set of three eggs, all sets being practically fresh. 

 At this camp a small creek had running water in it at this date, and 

 several pairs of these flycatchers were nesting here. So far as I 

 could see, the nesting habits are the same as the northern race ; these 

 nests were all placed behind climbing vines on rocks or in rotted parts 

 of trees, and not more than a few feet from the ground. These little 

 flycatchers were the first to sing in the early dawn and the last to 

 sing at night, seeming to never tire of their liquid-sounding song." 



The eggs are apparently indistinguishable from eggs of the species 

 found in California. The measurements of 12 eggs average 17.2 by 

 13.3 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 18.0 

 by 13.3, 17.3 by 14.3, and 16.3 by 12.3 millimeters. 



EMPIDONAX FULVIFRONS PYGMAEUS Cones 



BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER 



Plate 36 



HABITS 



This pretty little flycatcher is the tiniest of the Empidonaces that 

 occur in North America. It reaches the northern limit of its distri- 

 bution across our southwestern border in the mountains of southern 

 Arizona and New Mexico. It is a northern race of a Mexican species 

 and is described by Ridgway (1907) as "similar to E. f. julvifrons^ 

 but decidedly smaller and color of upper parts either darker or 

 grayer." 



We found this flycatcher to be rather rare in the upper parts of 

 the canyons in the Huachuca Mountains, Ariz., at elevations between 

 6,500 and 8,500 feet. Its favorite haunts seemed to be the steeply 

 sloping hills that rose gradually from the bed of the canyon and were 

 covered with a scattering growth of tall pines and small oaks, and 

 with an undergrowth of shrubs. It was not seen in the lower parts 

 of the canyons. Harry S. Swarth (1904), referring to the same 

 region, says : 



The Buff-breasted flycatcher is one of the rarest of the regular summer visitants 

 to these mountains, and as it is a small, inconspicuously colored bird, and in 



