COUES'S FLYCATCHER 263 



young and old could be found quite commonly along the canyons, and 

 in the groves of live oaks at the mouths of the same." 



Plumages. — Young birds in fresh juvenal plumage differ from 

 adults in being darker and more olivaceous above; the pileum is much 

 darker than the back, instead of nearly uniform with it, as in the 

 adult, varying from "sepia" to "mummy brown", in rather sharp con- 

 trast to the color of the back ; the upper tail coverts are more or less 

 broadly tipped with "cinnamon" or buffy; the median and gi-eater 

 wing coverts are broadly tipped with "cinnamon"; the light edgings 

 of the secondaries and tertials are tinged with pale buff; the abdomen, 

 under tail coverts, and sometimes the throat are "light ochraceous- 

 buff" or pale buffy yellow in sharp contrast against the dark gray of 

 the sides and chest. 



I have not seen any molting specimens and can only guess that the 

 molts are accomplished mainly after the birds migrate southward. 

 Mr. Swarth (1904) says: "An adult female taken August 24, 1902, 

 just commencing the autuimial moult, has most of the plumage so 

 worn and faded as to have lost all distinctive coloring, but on the 

 upper breast and on the dorsiun the new feathers are just beginning 

 to appear." 



Food. — I can find no definite information on the food of Coues's 

 flycatcher, which probably does not differ materially from that of the 

 other flycatchers of the region where it lives ; it apparently lives on 

 any kind of flying insects that it can find, as it can repeatedly be seen 

 darting out into the air in pursuit of them from its perches in the 

 trees. Living as it does, so far away from human habitations, its food 

 habits cannot be of much economic importance. 



Behavior. — Mr. Henshaw (1875) writes: "Each pair apparently 

 takes possession of a large area, and allows no intrusion of their kind 

 within the limits. Having spent a few moments in one spot, the bird 

 makes a hurried dash, and in a few moments its voice can be just dis- 

 tinguished, as it is sent back from afar in answer to the mnte near by. 

 A short interval elapsing, it will suddenly re-appear f ror i among the 

 trees, and, with an exultant whistle, settle firmly down ou some perch- 

 ing place, giving short, nervous jerks of its long tail, and turning its 

 head quickly here and there, eveiy motion betraying the nervous ac- 

 tivity of its nature. These sudden erratic flights from point to point 

 are quite characteristic of the bird." 



O. W. Howard (1904) gives the following interesting account of 

 this flycatcher in the role of a protector of its own nest and those of 

 other small and less aggressive birds : 



The Coues flycatcher is a lively, wide-awake fellow, and while sitting on his 

 lofty perch he keeps a sharp lookout for any of his numerous enemies who may 

 venture too near his dwelling place. The moment a jay, hawk, squirrel or snake 

 makes its appearance, the flycatcher leaves his perch and pounces upon the in- 



