Vol. XXII 

 1905 



Stockard, Nesting Habits of Mississippi Bird^. I C y 



patiently watch for thirty minutes or an hour. The sets of two eggs 

 were in the usual delicate nests of down with outer coats of lichens, and 

 both were placed upon horizontal branches, one twenty feet from the 

 ground and the other about forty. The collecting dates were May 14, 

 1896, and May 9, 1899. 



41. Tyrannus tyrannus. Kingbird. — The commonly termed "Bee- 

 martin " is found nesting in fields, pastures, and along road sides and 

 streams. Some nests could be reached while standing on the ground, 

 but others were placed in the topmost boughs of oaks and gums. This 

 bird is very noisy around its nest, and one with little experience can spot 

 a nest tree by the actions of the birds some time before he is near enough 

 to see the nest itself. It is usually conspicuously placed in the crotch of 

 a medium sized horizontal branch. The sets consisted of three and four 

 eggs. Kingbirds are comparatively late nesting in this locality, the earli- 

 est set being seen on May 10, 1896, and the latest on June 13, 1900. 



42. Myiarchus crinitus. Crested Flycatcher. — The Crested Fly- 

 catcher is called in Mississippi by the misnomer Kingbird. It nests 

 throughout the State, in every variety of hollow in tree or post as well as 

 in martin boxes. The natural cavities of china trees seem to be their 

 favorite sites. The nest is built on the bottom of the hollow and is rather 

 elaborate, being composed of straw, fibrous tree bark, feathers, moss, and 

 usually a cast off snake's skin, but several nests were seen without this 

 supposedly indispensable component. The sets contained from four to 

 six eggs, the earliest being taken on April 23, 1902, and the latest May 

 27, 1899. 



One is struck by the profuse markings of this egg when he remembers 

 how thoroughly it is concealed from ordinary view in the depths of a 

 hollow. It forms the most marked exception to the general rule, that 

 eggs laid in dark cavities are white. But when we recall the fact that the 

 most typical hollow layers build no nest and usually make their own 

 burrow, we are then led to believe, from the well made nest and highly 

 mottled egg of this species, that the habit of laying in hollows is a com- 

 paratively recent acquirement. The random selection of cavities made 

 by these birds seems to point toward the same conclusion. 



43. Contopus virens. Wood Pewee. — This modest and attractive 

 little bird is found nesting in the edges of most small woods and brakes 

 as well as in the groves near houses. The nests are placed on horizontal 

 branches at various distances above the ground, but always more than* 

 fifteen feet. This nest is a very shallow affair but neatly rounded and 

 covered on the outer side with lichens and thus resembles a natural knot 

 of the limb. All sets seen consisted of three eggs, and the earliest laying 

 date for this species was May 17, 1897, the latest June 19, 1902. 



44. Empidonax virescens. Green-crested Flycatcher. — A species 

 with most retiring habits. The nest may be found and removed without 

 the birds having made their appearance or the slightest sound. Those 

 nests observed were all in rather dense woods and in perfectly unfre- 



