LEAST FLYCATCHER 215 



other evergreen trees and commonly lined much more profusely with 

 feathers than are those found in eastern Massachusetts." 



In Canada, favorite trees are yellow and paper birches, quaking 

 aspens, balsam poplars, and mountain-ashes, as well as the conifers 

 mentioned above. Near James Bay, Canada, Dr. Dickey tells me 

 that he found many nests of this flycatcher in dense growths of 

 speclded alder, red osier dogwood, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, and 

 various willow shrubs; the nests were 2 to 6 feet above ground, and 

 "were adorned with mats of white hair from the husky dogs and 

 feathers plucked last autumn from 'wavey geese' and other wild 

 fowl." 



The nests of the least flycatcher are seldom more than 25 feet from 

 the ground, usually much less in eastern and northern localities, but 

 A. Dawes DuBois has sent me some notes on Wisconsin and Minne- 

 sota nests that were much higher; one was about 50 feet up in an 

 elm, one 40 or 50, and another about 60 feet from the ground. He 

 watched the bird building the latter nest, and says: "One of these 

 little flycatchers, after gathering some material on the ground, flew 

 to a fallen birch, took from it some fine, thin shreds of birch bark, 

 and mounted into the tree above me. It worked at the nest about 

 10 seconds, flew away and was gone two minutes, then worked at 

 the nest 25 seconds, and was gone again for about tw.o minutes on 

 another material-gathering errand." 



One that I saw building worked equally fast, returning to the nest 

 with material every three or four minutes. Mr. Forbush (1927) 

 says that the building of the nest usually occupies from six to eight 

 days. A. A. Cross wrote to him about watching the building of a 

 nest that was nearly finished: 



About one half of the upper edge seemed literally torn to pieces, the frayed 

 fragments projecting in all directions. The work of some robber, I thought. 

 Such was not the case, for presently the owner appeared with her beak full 

 of building material which, a piece at a time, she thrust into the edge of the 

 nest, leaving the loose ends free. Watching her, I noted that she was gathering 

 the inner bark from the dead and broken stems of last year's goldenrod. She 

 made many trips, working rapidly, and disposing of the material as in the first 

 case. In about 20 minutes she had finished, causing the edge of the nest to 

 look like a miniature hedge. She then settled herself solidly in the nest, 

 hooked her head over the edge and pivoting on her legs ironed out the rough 

 brim with her throat, putting considerable energy into the work and working 

 first one way and then the other. In this manner she was able to take in 

 about one-third of the circumference of the nest before changing her position. 

 Then readjusting herself, she continued the process until the nest was finished. 

 This was the last step in the building of the nest. 



The nest is compactly and well made, firmly settled down into a 

 crotch or firmly attached to twigs arising from a horizontal branch, 

 resembling in these respects certain nests of the yellow warbler or 



