288 BULLETIN 17 9, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



narrower. The coloring of the upper parts is essentially similar 

 to that of richordsonii, but perhaps a trifle paler. The wings and 

 tail are much shortei or about as in virens. The bill averages con- 

 siderably larger (both longer and broader) than in either virens 

 or richardsoniiy 



About all we know of its distribution and habits is contained in 

 the following statement by Mr. Brewster (1902) : "This near ally 

 of C. richardsonii was discovered by Mr. Frazar on the Sierra de 

 la Laguna, where it appeared about the middle of May, the males 

 arriving two weeks in advance of the females. It soon became very 

 common, frequenting open places in the woods, and usually taking 

 its station at the extremity of some dead branch. Its note is 'a sharp 

 cutting pee-ee-e, the second syllable with a falling, the last with a rising, 

 inflection.' On June 9 while descending the mountain Mr. Frazar 

 found these Flycatchers common to its base as well as afterwards at 

 Triunfo and San Jose del Kancho. An adult female killed on June 

 20 at Triunfo was incubating, but no nests were found." 



The measurements of three eggs, all that I have been able to secure, 

 are 19.0 by 15.6, 18.7 by 15.6, and lg.5 by 15.3 millimeters. 



NUTTALLORNIS MESOLEUCUS (Lichtenstein) 



OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER 



Plates 42-44 



HABITS 



As the nomenclature of the 1931 Check-List is being followed in 

 this work, the above name heads this chapter. "More recently, 

 however, Van Rossem has located Lichtenstein's type in the Berlin 

 Museum to find that it is a species of South American flycatcher. 

 This circumstance allows return again to the familiar name horealis 

 as the specific term for this attractive flycatcher" (Wetmore, 1939). 

 This illustrates the instability of the supposedly stable scientific 

 names; fortunately, the good old common name has proved more 

 permanent. Dr. Wetmore also states, in the same paper, that in 

 his opinion the recognition of a western race of this species is not 

 warranted. 



The generic name Nuttallomis seems to have been well chosen, 

 for, although the first specimen was taken by Richardson on the banks 

 of the Saskatchewan and described by Swainson (Swainson and 

 Richai'dson, 1831) as Tyrannus 'borealh^ only one specimen was taken 

 and nothing was learned about its habits, and it was Thomas Nuttall 

 who secured the next specimens and gave us the first account of the 

 habits of the species. Supposing it to be a new species, Nuttall 



