THE WESTERN FLYCATCHER. 



387 



after an hour's discriniiiiating stiuly, I shot from practically the sanic stand, 

 three birds whicli said su'it, pisivit, and pisoo respectively, and picked up a 

 Wright's Flycatcher (E. wricjlitii), a Western Flycatcher (E. difficilis) and a 

 Trail Flycatcherfi:. traillii). The same woods contained Hammond's Flycatcher 

 (E. Iiaiiiinoiidi), while the Western W'ood Pewee (Myioclniiics richardsoiiii), 

 which has the same general economy, was abundant also. Difficilis F Etiaiii! 

 The Western Flycatcher inhabits the deepest woods and occurs thruout 

 the State wherever sufficient shade is offered. It is rather partial to well- 

 watered valleys, and will follow these well up into the mountains, but does not 

 occur on the mountain-sides proper at any consid- 

 erable altitude. Nor does it appear to visit, save 

 during migrations, those green oases in the dry 

 country which are the delight of E. traillii. It 

 mingles with traillii in summer along the bank-^ 

 of streams and at the edges of swamps: with 

 haiiimondi in the more open woods and along the 

 lower hillsides: with wrightii along the margin 

 of mountain lakes and streams: but in the forests 

 proper it is easily dominant. 



The W'estern Flycatcher is a catholic nester. 

 It builds almost always a substantial cuj^ of 

 twigs, grasses, and hemp, lined with grass, hair 

 or feathers. The outside is usually plentifully 

 bedecked with moss, or else the whole structure 

 is chiefly composed of this substance — not, how- 

 ever, unless the color-tone of the immediate 

 surroundings will jiermit of it. Tn position it 

 varies without limit. \\q find nests sunk like 

 a Solitaire's in a mossy bank, or set in a 

 niche of a rocky clifif, on logs, sttimps. or 

 beams, in a clump of ferns, or securelv lodged 

 in a fir tree at a height of forty feet. One I 

 found in a swamp was saddled on the stem 

 of a slanting vine maple without a vestige of 

 cover other than that afforded by the general 

 gloom. 



Eggs to the number of three or four, 

 rarely five, are deposited late in May or early 

 in June, and only one brood is raised in a season. 

 creamy white color, spotted and blotched rather lightly with cinnamon brown 

 and pinkish buff, easily distinguishable from all others save those of the 

 Traill Flvcatcher. 



" Photo by J. II. Boulcs. 

 NF.ST OF WKSTKK.V 



l■•I,^■c.\•rcnl■:u. 

 The eggs are of a dull 



