2o6 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



seem natural that they should be preyed upon 

 most by the smaller Flycatchers, which very 

 likely accounts for the fact that the Wood Pewee 

 eats more of them than the Kingbirds. But, even 

 so, the bird does far more good than harm. The 

 loss of the useful bees and wasps can be con- 

 doned when it is remembered that with them 

 the bird taker, so many harmful or annoying 

 species. 



The Western Wood Pewee (Myiochanes rich- 

 ardsoni richardsoni) closely resembles its eastern 

 relative in coloration, size, and habits ; but its 



call differs in quality and inflection from that of 

 the eastern bird, the single syllable suggesting 

 the word deer or tii'eer. Its nest is dee]3er and 

 better cupped and is not coated with lichens. 



While the Western \\^ood Pewee inhabits 

 orchards, it does not go there for fruit, but only 

 in search of the insect enemies of the trees. It 

 eats but few useful insects, and does not, as far 

 as investigation shows, attack any product of in- 

 dustry. If, under exceptional circumstances, it 

 destroys honeybees, the occasions are so rare that 

 the bird should not be blacklisted. 



YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER 



Empidonax flaviventris (Baird) 



A. O. U. Number 463 See Color I'late 68 



General Description. — Length, s'/i inches. Upper 

 parts, greenish-olive • under parts, yellowish-olive and 

 yellow. 



Color. — Above, plain greenish-olive, the feathers of 

 crown slightly darker centrally ; tail, deep grayish- 

 brown, with outer webs of feathers passing into green- 

 ish-olive on edges ; wings, dull black, the middle and 

 greater coverts broadly tipped with pale olive-yellow, 

 the secondaries edged with the same, the primaries 

 dusky grayish-brown very narrowly and indistinctly 

 edged with paler ; a pale yellow eye-ring, less distinct 

 but scarcely interrupted on middle of upper eyelid ; 

 lores mixed pale yellowish and dusky-grayish ; rest of 

 sides of head and sides of neck similar in color to back 

 but slightly paler, gradually fading bcloiu into pale 

 yellow, tinged with olive, on chin and throat: chest and 

 sides of breast, light yellozvish-oli-i'e, gradually becom- 

 ing paler toward flanks; rest of under parts, pale 

 yellow ; under wing-coverts, primrose yellow, the outer- 



most coverts with dusky-grayish centers ; inner webs of 

 wing-feathers, edged with pale grayish-bufify ; bill, 

 brownish-black, wholly pale yellowish below ; iris, 

 brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : Usually in upturned roots 

 of trees, or in a fallen tree trunk, in a bed of moss, on 

 deep shady mountain slopes; constructed principally of 

 moss and lichens lined with fine rootlets, pine needles, 

 and fine grass. Eggs : 3 to 5. white, finely spotted with 

 rusty or chestnut. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America, north to 

 Newfoundland, southern Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, 

 and Manitoba, accidentally to southwestern Greenland ; 

 breeding southward to Maine, northern New York, 

 mountains of Pennsylvania, northern Indiana(?), 

 northeastern Illinois ( ?), northern Minnesota, and 

 North Dakota ; inigrating southward through eastern 

 Mexico and Central America to Panama ; occasional in 

 migration in western Florida. 



The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is another of 

 the lesser-known members of the species. It 

 frequents both tall tree-tops and thickets, and its 

 habits resemble, in a general way, those of its 

 tribe. Its note, which suggests the syllable pea, 

 is uttered by both the male and the female. 



So retiring are its habits that the Yellow- 



bellied Flycatcher is seldom brought into con- 

 tact with man, and hence its food can have only 

 restricted economic interest. Its bill of fare 

 includes insects of a number of species which 

 are injurious to garden, orchard, or forest, as 

 the striped squash beetle, several species of wee- 

 vils, tent-caterpillars, and leaf-rollers. 



WESTERN FLYCATCHER 

 Empidonax difficilis difficilis Baird 



A. O. U. Number 464 



General Description. — Length, 5!/ inches. Upper 

 parts, brownish-olive ; under parts, buffy-olive and 

 yellow. 



Color. — Above, plain brownish-olive; tail, grayish- 

 brown, the outer webs of feathers passing into light 



grayish-olive ; wings, dusky, the middle and greater 

 coverts rather broadly tipped with pale grayish-olive 

 (forming two distinct bands), the secondaries edged 

 (except basally) with the same; primaries, grayish- 

 brown, very narrowly and indistinctly edged with 



