113 



flew directly at me, biting, snapping its bill, and uttering piercing 

 screams. 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of six specimens : length, 

 901; stretch, 13-49; wing, 4-14; tail, 3-75; bill from nostril, -62; 

 culmen, -77; gape, 1-09; tarsus, -84; middle toe, -50; its claw, '26. 



107. Sayornis fuscus {GmeUn). Phgebe-bird; Pewee Fly- 

 catcher. A common summer resident; breeds. Arrives early in 

 March (17, 1871; 26, 1872; 19, 1873; 21, 1874; 29, 1875; 28, 1876 [26, 

 de Nottbeck at Fishkill] ; 26, 1877; 13, 1878; 13, 1879; 2, 1880), and 

 remains until about the first of November (October 15, 1874; 23, 

 1876; 26, 1879). I have found its nest completed by April 10 (1880). 

 In 1878, its full complement of eggs was laid April 20, and the first 

 eg<^ of their second brood was deposited on May 20th. A pair for 

 several years built their nest in a shaft of an iron mine, in a dark 

 and extremely humid situation; this nest contained no less than six 

 eggs, on May 3, 1880. 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of fourteen specimens : length, 

 6-99; stretch, 11-03; wing, 338; tail, 289; bill from nostril, -41; cul- 

 men, -60; gape, -75; tarsus, -67; middle toe and its claw, -59; toe 

 alone, '40. 



108. Contopusborealis (/S'toainso?i)- Olive-sided Flycatcher. 

 A common spring and ftill migrant. Arrives late in May, and passes 

 through before June (May 25 to 28, 1876; 25 to 29, 1877; 10 to 25, 

 1878; 9, 1879); seen in autumn from the 27th of August to the 18th 

 of September (August 27 to September 18, 1875; September 5 to 15, 

 1876; September 1, 1879). 



I first saw the Olive-sided Flycatcher in September, 1872, when I sur- 

 prised several of them that were engaged in their favorite pastime of 

 plucking each other in mid-air, amidst a din of screams and vitupera- 

 tions, and settled their quarrel by summarily disposing of two of the 

 belligerents in my basket. Since then, I have found it nearly every 

 spring and autumn, and frequently, during the latter season, in con- 

 siderable numbers. In spring, when it is rather scarce, it is usually 

 seen singly, or in pairs, perched upon a dry limb on top of some tall 

 tree, sitting remarkably erect, with its crest raised. It is frequently 

 very wild, and hard to shoot. 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of five specimens : length, 

 7-39; stretch, 12-68; wing, 4-05; tail, 2-70; bill from nostril, -54; gape, 

 •97; tarsus, -60; middle toe, -46; middle toe and its claw, -70. 



109. Contopus virens {Linne). Wood Pewee. A common 

 summer resident; breeds. Arrives from the South about the middle 

 of May (12, 1873; 12, 1874; 11, 1875; 19, 1876; 17, 1877; 20, 1878; 14, 

 1879; 13, 1880), and takes its departure late in September (21, 1874; 

 14, 1876; 11, 1880). 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XII. 8 



