310 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



I fancy that in southern California this species showed a 

 greater predilection for bees than does our eastern bird, but 

 then wild bees were frequent along the canon walls and in the 

 hollow sycamores so the diet injured nobody. They also par- 

 took of the various insects which came their way, taking them 

 on the wing as their relatives do. 



Genus MYIARCHUS Cabanis. 



452. Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). Crested Flycatcher; 

 Great-crested Flycatcher. 



Plumage : above grayish brown with slight tinge of olive green ; outer 

 vane of primaries margined and the inner vane of tail feathers except middle 

 pair colored pale rufous ; belly yellow, throat and breast grayish. Wing 4.10 ; 

 tarsus 0.80 ; bill from nostril 0.59. The head feathers form a conspicuous, 

 erectile, crest. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States, breeding from Florida to New Bruns- 

 wick, west to Manitoba and the Plains ; wintering from southern Florida to 

 Costa Rica, Panama and Columbia. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; fairly common summer resident, (John- 

 son). Cumberland; uncommon summer resident, (Brown, C. B. P. p. 17). 

 Franklin; rare summer resident, (Swain); common summer resident, 

 (Sweet). Hancock; seen in Bucksport in 1899 and 1900, (Mrs. W. H. 

 Gardner). Kennebec; summer resident, (Dill). Knox; not common sum- 

 mer resident, (Swain). Lincoln; not common summer resident, (Swain). 

 Oxford; breeds rarely, (Nash). Penobscot; rare summer resident, usually 

 only two or three individuals observed in the course of a season, (Knight). 

 Piscataquis; not uncommon, breeds, (Homer). Somerset; quite common 

 summer resident, (Morrell). Waldo; rare summer resident, (Knight). 

 Washington ; very rare, (Boardman). York ; rare summer resident, (Adams). 



This species seems practically confined to the southern half 

 of the State and is not especially common anywhere. The 

 first arrivals appear sometimes as early as May 9, usually 

 about a week later, and remain until sometimes September 20. 

 It is usually quite vociferous and especially when nest building 

 makes its whereabouts known. Many times about the middle 

 of June while passing along the highway near an old orchard 

 have I heard a loud harsh "whuree, whuree, whuree," and 

 looked to see a pair of Crested Flycatchers, one with its bill 



