SYLVICOLID^ — THE WARBLERS. 317 



In regard to its habits, Wilson represents it as " remarkably active, run- 

 ning, climbing, and darting about among the opening buds and blossoms with 

 extraordinary agility." Audubon states that in its habits it is closely allied 

 ^vith the i^usilhis and the mitratus, being fond of low thick coverts in swamps 

 and by the margin of pools. He also attributes to it a song of rather pleas- 

 ing notes, enunciated at regular intervals, loud enough to be heard at the dis- 

 tance of sixty yards. These peculiarities seem to separate it from the true 

 Flycatchers and to place it among the Warblers. 



Myiodioctes pusillus, Bonap. 



GREEN BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHER. 



Muscicapa pusilla, Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 1811, 103, pi. xxvi, tig. 4. Wilsonia jms. Bon. 

 Sylvania p^is. Nutt. Myiodioctes pus. Bon. Consp. 1850, 315. — Sclateu, P. Z. S. 

 1856, 291 (Cordova) ; 1858, 299 (Oaxaca Mts. ; Dec.) ; 1859, 363 (Xalapa) ; 373. —Ib. 

 Catal. 1861, 34, no. 203. — Bauid, Birds N. Am. 1858, 293 (in part) ; Rev. 240 (in 

 part).— Sclateu & Salvin, Ibis, 1859, 11 (Guatemala). —SaxMUELS, 246. Myioctonus 

 pus. Cab. M. H. 1851, 18. — Ib. Jour. 1860, 325 (Costa Kica). Sylvia wilsoni, BoN. ; 

 Nutt. Muscicapa wilsoni, Aud. Orn. Biog. II, pi. cxxiv. Setophaga wilsoni, Jaud. 

 Myiodioctes wilsoni, Aud. Birds Am. II, pi. Ixxv. Sylvia ^xtasodes, Light. Preis- 

 Verz. 1830. 



Sp. Char. Forehead, line over and around the eye, and under parts generally, bright 

 yellow. Upper part olive-green ; a square patch on the crown lustrous-black. Sides of 

 body and cheeks tinged with olive. No white on wings or tail. Female similar, the 

 black of the crown replaced by olive-green. Length, 4.75 ; wing, 2.2-5 ; tail, 2.30. 



Hab. Eastern portions of United States, west to the Snake and Humboldt Rivers ; 

 north to Alaska, south through Eastern Mexico and Guatemala to Costa Rica ; Chiriqui 

 (Salvin). 



Habits. Wilson's Black-Cap is found throughout the United States from 

 ocean to ocean, and as far to the north as Alaska and the Arctic shores, 

 where, however, it is not common. Mr. Dall shot a specimen, May 30, on the 

 Yukon Eiver, where it was breeding. Mr. Bischoff* obtained others with nests 

 and eggs at Sitka, and afterwards found it more abundant at Kodiak. On the 

 Pacific coast Dr. Suckley found it very abundant in the neighborhood of Fort 

 Steilacoom, where it frequented thickets and small scrub-oak groves, in its 

 habits resembling the lielminthojjliaga celata, flitting about among the dense 

 foliage of bushes and low trees in a busy, restless manner. He descriljes its 

 cry as a short chit-chat call. In California, Dr. Cooper notes their first arrival 

 early in May, and states that they migrate along the coast, up at least to 

 the Straits of Fuca. At Santa Cruz he noted their arrival, in 1866, about 

 the 20th of April. They were then gathering materials for a nest, the male 

 bird singing merrily during his employment. As they have been observed 

 in Oregon as early as this, it has been conjectured that some may remain all 

 winter among the dense shrubbery of the forests. 



