238 BULLETIN 179, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Food. — Referring to the feeding habits of this flycatcher, Mr. 

 Howsley says: "The parent never brought a -worm to the nestlings. 

 The food was always a very small moth. These moths were taken on 

 the wing, after which the parent would sit for several moments on a 

 neighboring twig and utter a few weak cheeps intermittently before 

 feeding the young. However, I have often noticed the parent flutter- 

 ing beneath a leaf from which she seemed to obtain insects, in the 

 manner of a warbler or vireo, which she devoured herself. Once in 

 a while she would also swallow the moth she had evidently gathered 

 for the offspring, but decided, either through hunger or my too close 

 proximity, to take no chances." 



I can find no published account of the food of Wright's flycatcher, 

 which probably does not differ materially from that of the other 

 western Empidonaces. 



Behavior. — Mr. Howsley says (MS.) : "Wright's flycatcher is a 

 friendly little soul, not altogether shy, although not allowing too 

 much familiarity. Each pair occupies a separate territory and seems 

 to respect the other's rights by not trespassing unless inadvertently. 

 The only instance I noted of one territorial inhabitant resenting in- 

 trusion from his neighbor was during the period following incuba- 

 tion, especially the early stages after hatching. Any bird, related or 

 not, that comes in close proximity of the nest tree, is immediately 

 put to flight by a vigorous attack, the parent uttering a rapid scold- 

 ing note during pursuit." Bowles and Decker (1927) write of the 

 behavior about the nest : 



The bird can only be closely approached when the female is on the nest, and 

 here her actions are exceedingly unusual. She will always sit so closely that 

 one has to lift her off the nest, but it is impossible to judge the contents by 

 this as she is just as likely to be building as to have a complete set of eggs. 

 A striking example of this was one nest that we found built about ten feet up 

 in a slender alder, which the sitting bird positively refused to leave. The 

 tree could not be climbed with safety, so we whittled it off about three feet 

 from the ground and lowered it down. The bird "sat tight" all the time and 

 had to be pried ofE the nest which, much to our amazement, was little more 

 than half completed and absolutely empty. We then tied the two sections of 

 the tree together and later found that the change and disturbance had not 

 seemed to bother the bird at all, as she finished her nest and laid a set of four 

 eggs. * * * Tame as the female is when on the nest, her actions are com- 

 pletely changed the instant that she leaves it, for then she is the shyest of the 

 shy and it requires a long and cautious hiding in order to get even a sight of 

 her afterwards. We have never seen the male indicate the presence of the nest 

 in any way or come near it at any time. 



Mr. Dawson (1923) tells an interesting story of his experience with 

 an unusually tame and confiding Wright's flycatcher that allowed 

 herself to be handled quite freely, and even fed from his hand. 



