VERMILION FLYCATCHER 307 



white breast streaked with dusky and with a wash of sahnou or 

 yellow on the lower belly. Both have the mannerisms of flycatchers. 



Enemies. — Mrs. Wheelock (1904) witnessed a fight between a ver- 

 milion flycatcher and an Arkansas kingbird. The flycatcher happened 

 to fly too near to a tree where the kingbird was perched and was im- 

 mediately attacked by the latter. "The result was a kaleidoscopic 

 mingling of yellow, red, and brown tumbling earthward, the birds 

 fighting as they fell. The Vermilion had been taken by surprise, 

 and was no match for his antagonist, but he fought gallantly. As 

 he landed on his back on the ground, with feet and bill still eager 

 to finish, the kingbird rose a few feet above him, poised over him 

 as a hawk over a field mouse lair, hesitated, and for some occult 

 reason flew back to his own perch." 



Dr. Beebe (1905) writes: "This beautiful creature must have 

 had some talisman which guarded him from the fate which overhangs 

 brilliantly coloured birds, for he seemed to have no fear of 

 showing his beauty. There was no attempt at skulking or conceal- 

 ment. * * * Although we watched long and carefully, we never 

 saw a Vermilion Flycatcher assailed or threatened by shrike or 

 hawk. Sometimes a Ground Squirrel rushed at one in a rage, but 

 the bark of a Ground Squirrel is much worse than its bite, so this 

 sham threatening meant little and the flycatcher acted as if he 

 knew it." 



Dr. Friedmann (1929) lists this flycatcher as "an uncommon victim 

 of the Dwarf Cowbird." Dr. J. C. Merrill (1878) reported one such 

 case, and Major Bendire (1895) reported two. 



Fall. — Mr. Swarth (1904) says: "During August, families of young 

 with the parents in attendance, were frequently seen, and at this 

 time I found them more shy and difficult to approach than at any 

 other. The males are, in my experience, singularly tame and unsus- 

 picious for such bright, gaudy plumaged birds." During September 

 the fall migration begins, southward and westward, and by the first 

 of October very few are left in their summer homes in Arizona 

 and New Mexico. 



Winter. — A few individuals remain all winter in southern Arizona, 

 and a few are scattered westward into southern California, even to 

 the coastal counties as far north as Santa Barbara. Strangely 

 enough, the species is not known as summer resident in California, 

 except in the extreme southwestern corner in the vicinity of the 

 Colorado Valley. James B. Dixon tells me that he has seen the 

 vermilion flycatcher in San Diego County only in winter. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern United States; Central and South Amer- 

 ica; accidental in Louisiana and Florida; not regularly migratory. 



