EMPinONAX ORSC0RUS. 541 



Empidonax obscurus. 



Wright's FlycaU-hcr. 



(Yct'-to-gish of the Paiutes; Pish' -e-wah' -e-te-tse of the Shoshones.) 



f Tyrannttla obscura, SwAiNSON, Sjnop. Mcx. Birds, Philos. Mag., I, 1827, 3G7. 

 Empidonax obscunis, Baikd, Birds N. Am., 1858, 200; Cat. N. Am. B., ISoO, No. 



14G.— Cooper, Orn. Cai., I, 1870, 329.— Coues, Key, 1872, 170; Check Li.st, 



1873, No. 2G1 ; Birds N.W., 1874, 258.— B. B. & B., Hist. N. Am. B., II, 1874, 



381, pi. XLiv, Qg. C— IlENSHAW, 1875, 300. 

 Empidonax irriyhtii, Baikd, Birds N. Am., 1858, 200 (in text). [Name proposed in 



case S\yAiNso>;'s T. obscura sliould prove a dillereut species.] 



This Ernindonax is as characteristic of the mountains as E. piisillus is 

 of the lower valleys. It inhabits both the aspen gi'oves and copses of the 

 higher cafions and the mahogany woods of the middle slopes, in which 

 places it is sometimes one of the most numerous of the smaller bird.><. It 

 is probably not entirely restricted to these elevated regions during the 

 breeding-season, however, since it was common in May among the willow 

 thickets in the lower Truckee Valley, while the first individual of the sea- 

 son was observed in a cedar and pifion woods on the low hills near Carson 

 City, on the 21st of April. In September we found it in the lower canons 

 of the West Humboldt Mountains, where, as in other ranges, the summer 

 fauna assimilated that of the i-ivei'-valleys rather than that of the higher 

 canons. It was equally common on both sides of the Great Basin, tlio 

 only districts where it was entirely absent being those where the ranges 

 were destitute of water and vegetation. It was more abundant in the aspen 

 copses of the high canons of the lofty Toyabe range, near Austin, than 

 anywhere else, but it was quite plentiful in similar localities on the Wah- 

 satch and Uintah Mountains. 



The habits and manners of this species much resemble tho.se of others 

 of the genus, while in the location and structure of its nest, and the color 

 of its eggs, it resembles very closely E. hammomli and E. minimus. The 

 notes, however, are decidedly distinctive, and but little like those of its 

 congeners. The ordinary utterance is an exceedingly liquid whit, but wiien 

 the nest is disturbed, as well as on some other occasions, a plaintive stceer 

 is uttered, which much resembles the call-note of Chnjsomitris pinus, l)ut is 



