44 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



the trees like a sunbeam. Ag-aiu you will be startled by a little burst 

 of song from a thicket close by; but you will have to look closely and 

 with great care before you are able to detect its author as he sways on 

 a slender limb near the ground. The song consists of a series of single 

 syllables, delivered in rapid succession, starting in loud and clear, but 

 gradiially running together towards the end and mvich resembling 

 tsicect, Uweet, sweets wect-swect. 



Their food seems to consist largelj^ of caterpillars, which they must 

 get almost exclusively from the trees, since they are very seldom seen 

 feeding on the ground. As long- as food is plentiful and the weather 

 favorable they remain with us, but gradually drift southward when 

 conditions are unfavorable. My last trip to their locality was made 

 September 3, when I saw several birds. How long they remained after 

 this I do not know. Careful obsei-vation will yield much that is inter- 

 esting concerning this bird. As far as I have observed its nesting 

 habits here, they agree quite closely with those described for the 

 species on the Illinois lliver, Illinois, as published by W. E. Loucks. It 

 has been found breeding near Omaha and on both sides of the Missouri 

 Eiver as far north as the middle of the state, but never so commonly 

 as in the locality which I have described. 



OBSEKVATIONS ON TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER 



J[. A. CARRIKER, JR., NEBRASKA CITY 



This shy little denizen of the Alissouri River willow swamps was 

 entirely unknown to me until 1897, when on July 19 I made its ac- 

 quaintance. I had gone fishing to what is known as the "Slough," 

 ■across the river from Nebraska Citj'. This is a body of water in the 

 form of a half horseshoe, Ijing along the east side of what was form- 

 erly the bed of the Missouri River. It is about three miles long and from 

 tw^enty-five to one hundred yards in width, the lower end being con- 

 nected with the river during- high water. On the east side the land is 

 high and dry, while the strip on the west side between it and the river 

 is low and marshy and covered with a thick growth of swamp willows 

 from three to fifteen feet in height according to the amount of moist- 

 ure in the soil. Small sloughs and ponds ai'e scattered about, and 

 altogether it forms a most excellent feeding and breeding ground for 

 many of our marsh birds. 



The fish having ceased to find anything of interest in my most care- 

 fully prepared bait, I gave iip in despair and started out on a rummage 

 among the thick willows bordering the stream. It was not long before 

 I was attracted by a bird song-, seemingly a mixture of that of the 

 Pluebe and Wood Pewee, yet differing from both. It being new to me 

 I made everj^ possible effort to get a glimpse of the bird. I was just 



