COUESS FLYCATCHER 265 



similar to that of boreal/'s, but the notes differ. The local narrue for 

 the species, derived from its cry, is Jose Maria (pronounced Ho-say 

 Maria, with the second syllable of the last word drawn out and 

 emphasized), a far better translation of the sounds than is the case 

 in many similar instances." 



Alexander F. Skutch has sent me some notes on the Central 

 American race of this species, in which he says that "during the 

 breeding season, Coues's flycatcher mounts in the gray dawn to some 

 loft}^ perch, and for many minutes repeats incessantly, in a rather 

 dry voice, a simple little phrase which sounds like Frederick feur^ 

 Fred'* lick fear^ 



Field m<irks. — This is a rather large flycatcher that looks like an 

 overgrown wood pewee and acts like an olive-sided flycatcher. Its 

 notes are characteristic. The wide and light-colored mandible, 

 brownish upper parts, the whitish chin, and the extensively gray 

 breast and sides should serve to distinguish it. 



It gives the impression of a decidedly and uniformly gray bird, 

 with no very marked contrasts ; the pale yellowish white on the belly 

 is not very conspicuous. The olive-sided flycatcher is much darker, 

 with a sharply contrasted white abdomen and conspicuous white 

 tufts on the rump. The wood pewee is much smaller and more 

 olivaceous, less grayish. 



Fall. — ^Mr. Henshaw (1875) says: "By the latter part of September, 

 many individuals had passed to the southward ; but, at Mount Graham, 

 at this time the species was still present. I noticed them on several 

 occasions on the outskirts of the flocks of Warblers and Nuthatches, 

 which were moving slowly onward. They appeared to be migrating 

 in their company, forming as it seemed to me, a very incongruous ele- 

 ment in these sociable gatherings. Their call notes at this time were 

 given almost as incessantly as during the summer." 



Winter. — ^Mr. Skutch's notes refer to the type race of the species, 

 but its habits are doubtless similar to those of our more northern 

 race. He says of its winter habits : "At the close of the breeding sea- 

 son, the families of Coues's flycatcher break up; and the birds live 

 singly through much of the year. On the Sierra de Tecpan I usually 

 found a single Coues's flycatcher — never more than one — in each of 

 the motley flocks, composed of a great variety of resident and migra- 

 tory warblers and other small birds, which roamed through the oak 

 woods during the months when few birds nested. The oft -repeated 

 wic wic icic of the crested, gray flycatcher, voiced briskly as it returned 

 from the aerial sallies that it undertook from one of the more exposed 

 branches, added variety to the chorus of mingled notes raised by 

 the flock." 



