ACADIAN FLYCATCHER 185 



found the Acadians." Simmons (1925) characterized its habitat 

 in central Texaf. as "open glades in timber near running water, and 

 along creeks; M'ooded ravines; rarely in heavy woodlands, usually 

 in dry, deciduous second-growths along water courses; Spanish oaks 

 overhanging creek valleys in hills; wooded roadsides; deep, shady 

 woodlands or second-growth forests, watered by small streams, and 

 with either little or much undergrowth and vine-tangle." 



In my own territory, of the eroded ravines of southwestern Penn- 

 sylvania, the bird is abundant in its peculiar habitat. It is found 

 along streams in wooded ravines. The timber is almost wholly of 

 hardwoods; and it is where the pendent lower branches of great 

 beeches overhang the small streams that these birds are most likely 

 to be found. 



It is because of the remarkable likenesses between the small fly- 

 catchers of the genus Empidonax that the early ornithologists, hav- 

 ing nothing to go by and necessarily feeling their way, gave con- 

 fused and misleading accounts. Wilson (1810), for instance, char- 

 acterized the Acadian flycatcher excellently well. (He called it the 

 small green-crested flycatcher.) He manifestly knew the bird in the 

 field; but he added to his account a description of nest and eggs 

 that certainly belongs, not to virescens, but to miniinus. Audubon 

 (1831) first described trailli^ and the brothers Baird (1843), mini- 

 mus. It remained for Henshaw (1876), Wheaton (1882), Brewster 

 (18'95), and Oberholser (1918) to complete accurate analyses of the 

 three species. 



It is, indeed, in consequence of confusion that virescens carries 

 today the inappropriate vernacular name, Acadian flycatcher. The 

 name was applied initially to a bird taken in Acadia, that is to say 

 in Nova Scotia. The bird, so taken, was held to be the type speci- 

 men, until, in the light of fuller knowledge, the truth appeared 

 that this species never reaches Nova Scotia, and that the bird first 

 called acadicus must have been of one of the other species. The 

 technical name acadicus was thereupon changed to virescens • but, 

 in English, Acadian flycatcher had become too well established and 

 has not been supplanted. 



Spring. — Returning from their wintering grounds in northwestern 

 South America, the birds begin to enter their breeding range early 

 in April and by the middle of May have completed their migration. 

 S. S. Dickey, of Waynesburg, Greene County, Pa., writes (MS.) : 

 "After their return from winter quarters the males are quite com- 

 bative. They may then be seen chasing one another up and down 

 the courses of the ravines. So intent are they that, heedless of a 

 man's presence, they will dash up almost into his face. "While they 

 primarily fight off other males of their own species, I have noticed 



