THE VEKMILION FLYCATCHEE. 323 



for the shell. This record exten<ls the known range of" the species very materi- 

 ally, since it had not previously l^een recorded north of Fort Mohave, Arizona." 



The Vermilion Flycatcher appears not to be particularly rare in the lower 

 Rio Grande Valley, in the vicinity of Brownsville, Texas, where 1 )r. James C. 

 Merrill, United States Arni}^, found several of their nests and eggs, which are 

 now in the United States National Museum collection; it also occurs in other 

 places along our southwestern frontier. Its center of abundance within our 

 borders, however, must 1)0 looked for in southern Arizona. Here, in the vicinity 

 of Tucson, along the banks of Rillito Creek (one of the many dry streams of 

 this country, where the water flows above ground for about one month in the 

 year, and digging has to be resorted to to lead it out of its sandy bed, and 

 where, unless this is done, small stagnant pools are only occasionally met with) 

 I found this pretty and conspicuous litth^ Flycatcher to be a rather connnon 

 summer resident, and located some two dozen of its nests and eggs during the 

 season of 1S72. Although an occasional si)ecimen can be found here throughout 

 every month of the year, comparatively few of these birds remain during the 

 winter. The iirst migrants usually return about March 1, the males preceding 

 the females about a week, and by the 10th of the month both sexes are common. 



The mating season commences shortly afterwards, and the males, in their 

 handsome red plumage, may be seen hovering in the air, some 20 to 30 feet above 

 the ground, poised and fluttering their wings in the manner of a Sparrow Hawk. 

 1 )uring this performance every feather of the body, and even the tail, is raised, 

 and it seems a difficult matter for the bird to keep itself })roperly balanced. At 

 this time it repeatedly utters a shrill note like "zi-bree, zi-bree," and snaps its 

 mandibles together, slowly descending to its perch again, usually on some 

 small limlj of a mesquite or other tree near water. It is a very comical-looking 

 little object at such times, and is evidently proud ui' its handsome appearance. 

 When at rest, perched on some twig overhanging the creek bed, it utters a 

 whining sort of note occasionally, not unlike that of the Western Wood Pewee. 



Its food consists of insects, which are mostly caught on the Aving; but I 

 have also seen it alight on the ground to pick up a grasshopper or small beetle, 

 returning to its perch afterwards, beating its prey against it, and devouring it 

 at leisure. Its favorite resorts are the shrubbery found along water courses in 

 the more level, open country, but it also follows the can}'ous into the foothills 

 of the mountains, up to an altitude of between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. I have 

 rarely found it at any great distance away » from water. In southern Arizona 

 nidification seldom begins before April 20, and usually not until iMay 1. 



The nest is a rather frail, shallow, and flimsy affair, and is always saddled 

 on a horizontal fork, well out from the trunk of the tree, as is that of the Wood 

 Pewee. The foundation is composed of a thin layer of twigs from 2 to 3 inches 

 in length; the sides are constructed of small weed tops, a species oi Evax, plant 

 fibers, empty cocoons, spider webs, plant down, etc. The Avhole is rather loosely 

 held together. The inner lining consists most frequently of feathers, sometimes 

 of a little wool, cattle hair, fur, or ^jlant down. The rims of some nests are 



