316 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



bottom-lands along the Lower Wabash, in Southern Illinois, inhabiting the 

 cane-brakes and the margins of bushy swamps. 



The eggs of this Warbler are oval in shape, with one end quite pointed. 

 They measure .70 by .50 of an inch. Their ground-color is a beautiful bright 

 white, when the egg is fresh, strongly tinged with flesh-color. The spots are 

 of a fine red, with a few markings of a subdued purple. 



Myiodioctes minutus, Baird. 



SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER. 



Mtiscicapa minuta, Wilson, Am. Orn. VI, 1812, 62, pi. 1, fig. 5. — Aun. Orn. Biog. V, pi. 

 ccccxxxiv, fig. 3. — Ib. Birds Am. I, pi. Ixvii. Sylvia oninuta, Bon. Wilsonia m. 

 Bon. List, 1838. Myiodioctes minutus, Baird, Rev. Am. Birds, 1864, 241. Sylvania 

 immilia, Nutt. Man. I, 1840, 334. 



Sp. Char. Wings short, the second quills longest. Tail of moderate -length, even. 

 General color of upper parts light greenish-brown ; wings and tail dark olive-brown, the 

 outer feathers of the latter with a terminal white spot on the inner web ; a narrow white 

 ring surrounding the eye ; two bands of dull white on the wings: sides of the head and 

 neck greenish-yellow ; the rest of the lower parts pale yellow, gradually fading into white 

 behind. Male, 5 inches long ; extent, 8.25 inches. 



Hab. Eastern United States. 



Habits. All that is known in regard to this species we receive from 

 Wilson and Audubon, and there is a decided discrepancy in their several 

 statements. Wilson states that his figure was taken from a young male 

 shot on the 24th of April, but in wliat locality he does not mention. He 

 adds that he afterwards shot several individuals in various parts of New 

 Jersey, particularly in swamps. He found these in June, and has no doubt 

 tliey breed there. 



Audubon claims tliat Wilson's drawing was a copy from his own of a bird 

 shot by him in Kentucky on the margin of a pond. He throws a doubt as 

 to the correctness of Wilson's statement that they have been found in New 

 Jersey, as no one else has ever met with any there. That may be, however, 

 and Wilson's statement yet be correct. The same argument carried out would 

 reject the very existence of the bird itself, as no well-authenticated records 

 of its occurrence since then can be found. They are at least too doubtful 

 to be received as unquestionable until the genuine bird can be produced. Mr. 

 Nuttall, it is true, states that Mr. Cliarles Pickering obtained a specimen of 

 this bird many years ago, near Salem, Mass., and that he had himself also 

 seen it in the same State, at the approach of winter. In the fall of 1836, 

 Avhen the writer resided in Roxbury, a cat caught and brought into the 

 liouse a small Flycatcher, which was supposed to be of this species. It was 

 given to Mr. Audubon, who assented to its correct identification, but after- 

 wards made no mention of it. The presumption, therefore, is that we may 

 have been mistaken. 



