OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER 299 



and striking note." Various interpretations of the same "song" given 

 by others are : gluck^ phe-bca; whit, pvay-tear; quip, gree-deal; whet, 

 we-wea; 'pit, perwlieer, etc. The "song" has also been well expressed 

 in words, which convey a very good impression of it, such as "look 

 three deer" ; "its me here" ; "who be you" ; "quick three beers" ; "com© 

 right here" ; and "whew take care." 



Another very common note is the warning cry, or the angry note of 

 protest, uttered when its territory is invaded or its nest threatened. I 

 recorded this in my notes as ivheitp, wheup, wheup, or weap, weap, 

 loeap. But it is oftener written by others as quip, quip, quip, or pip, 

 pip, pip. This note is short, rather loud, and decidedly emphatic, al- 

 most a scream under intense excitement. 



Aima Head (1903) says that "a third note was more like a twitter, 

 and was uttered during excitement, chiefly when the young were learn- 

 ing to fly. It sounded like 'why, why, why,' repeated very rapidly a 

 number of times. Sometimes this note was given as a prelude to the 

 real song." A. Dawes DuBois, in his notes, mentions a 2-syllabled 

 "plaintive song having a quality similar to the notes of the wood pewee. 

 The notes may be whistled as too-wee in ascending pitch, slightly 

 suggesting the towhee's notes." 



Verdi Burtch tells me that the pip-pip-pip notes, always in series 

 of threes, seemed to be made mostly by the female in the vicinity of 

 the nest and that all the nests he found were located after hearing 

 these notes. The 3-syllabled call, which he writes as kuk, pu-wheu, 

 was given mainly by the male from his high perch. Dr. S. S. Dickey 

 writes to me that the outcries of this flycatcher are "mterpreted 

 with variable exclamations, especially when the bird is excited by 

 the combativeness of other males, or is approached on its nesting 

 grounds. Then it becomes actually pugnacious, and its notes are a 

 series of piercing quoits and pee-quoiks. On clear days these notes 

 may be heard three-quarters of a mile, or even a mile, away." 



Field marks. — The erect pose of the olive-sided flycatcher, as it 

 sits on the top of some tall forest tree, its stout figure, dark color, 

 short neck, and large head are all distinctive. If facing the ob- 

 server, it may be recognized by the white abdominal region narrow- 

 ing to a point between the dark olive ,of the sides of the breast and 

 throat. If seen from one side or from the rear, two glaring white 

 patches of silky plumage may be seen, on each side of the lower 

 back, often showing above the wings; these conspicuous patches are 

 excellent field marks and may often be seen in flight. On migrations, 

 when it is mainly silent, the above marks must be looked for, but 

 on its breeding grounds its voice is its most distinctive character. 



Fall. — As summer wanes this flycatcher becomes more silent and 

 its note is heard only occasionally. Beginning in August and pro- 



