Notes on Nebraska Birds 139 



pp. 553 and 555), and it may be valid, but a specimen taken in the 

 same locality two days later by J. S. Hunter, and said to be the 

 same as Gary's specimen (which we have not seen), is E. traillii 

 hrewsteri, as determined by Dr. H. C. Oberholser. It is therefore 

 altogether probable that Gary's record is based on a misidentifica- 

 tion. 



Traill F\ycatc)rter Empidonax iroiUii traillii (Audubon). 



By far our most abundant and widespread species of Empi- 

 donax. the Traill Flycatcher, or "Alder Flycatcher" of much of the 

 literature, occurs commonly as a summer resident and breeder and 

 abundantly as a migrant over the state west to about the 100th 

 meridian. 



The first record of the species for Nebraska is that of Aughey 

 who in 1877 wrote that he did not distinguish between E. pusilhis 

 (= b)yicst(ri) and E. traillii, having only occasionally met either 

 one. Although not definitely saying so, subsequent Nebraska ob- 

 servers have also largely not discriminated between the two sub- 

 species of E. traillii. 



A series of seven representative specimens taken at Lincoln 

 May 21 to August 15, including three breeding June birds, have 

 been examined by Dr. H. G. Oberholser and all pronounced E. 

 traillii traillii (=i aluoriim) . Nine additional specimens are iden- 

 tical with this series, and the total series of eleven males and five 

 females proves that this is both the migratory and breeding form 

 at Lincoln. At this point the species is common from May 3 until 

 the end of August and has been noted as late as September 12. 



At Omaha, Nebraska Gity, Union, Peru and other points along 

 the Missouri River this bird has been found to be a common sum- 

 mer resident and breeder. M. A. Garriker, Jr., has given a good 

 account of its habits in that region (Proc. N. 0. U.. ii, pp. 44-46). 

 Specimens examined from Peru, Union and South Bend are indis- 

 tinguishable from the series of Lincoln specimens, though Zim- 

 mer has recorded an unusually bi'ightly colored male specimen 

 from Lincoln (May 20, 1909) and a large-billed female specimen 

 from Union (July 23, 1910) as E. t. (iluoru))!. under the impression 

 that the western form previously known as E. t. traillii (now E. t. 

 breu'strri) was the prevailing form in these localities (Proc. X. 

 0. U., V, p. 35). 



West of the 97th meridian this flycatcher is found in plum thick- 

 ets and other brush, especially along the rivers and creeks, to at 

 least the 98th meridian. At Neligh Gary found it a common mi- 

 grant and probably a summer resident, arriving May 5 to 20 and 

 departing August 10 to September 1 (Proc. N. 0. U., i, p. 25). 

 From west of the 98th meridian there are no records, and west 

 of the 100th meridian it is apparently replacer" bv the following 

 subspecies. 



