^"Isg^^^] General Notes. 405 



Nesting Habits of Empidonax insulicola. — I have just read with great 

 interest in 'The Auk' for July, 1S97, the paper bv Mr. Harrj C. Ober- 

 holser, describing the Empidonax of the Santa Barbara group as a new- 

 species under the name insulicola. Air. Oberholser is of course correct in 

 assuming that I mistook the bird for E. difficilis in mj list of Santa Cruz 

 birds (Auk, IV, 18S7, 329), an error to be explained, though not excused, 

 bv the fact that I shot no specimens of this species. 



If insulicola receives general recognition, as appears probable, some 

 account of its habits, nest and eggs will be of interest. 



During my visit to Santa Cruz in the summer of 1886 I saw the Island 

 Flycatchers (if I may suggust a vernacular name) constantlv ; indeed they 

 were among the most abundant of the land birds. They were to be found 

 chiefly along the rocky, wooded canons, and their habits closely resembled 

 those of the Wood Pewee. The Island Flycatchers, however, seem to 

 prefer a lower perch, generally within six or eight feet from the ground. 

 Their note is a disyllabic, lisping call difficult to describe; not wholly 

 unlike the characteristic note of the Least Flycatcher, but much less 

 forcible and metallic. 



The first nest which I found was built actually in our camp. A stream; 

 swollen by winter rains to the size of a river, had undermined its banks; 

 shrinking in summer to a mere mountain brook, it had left a high, concave 

 bank on either side. Under one of these arching banks was the nest, 

 neatly concealed among the roots which descended from the trees above. 

 It was placed about seven feet above the level of the stream, and not 

 more than twelve feet away from our camp table, which we had set under 

 this bank to secure protection from the sun. The nest was rather small, 

 saucer-shaped, and composed of material evidently gathered from the bed 

 of the stream, — strips of bark, dead grasses and shreds of dry, bleached 

 vegetable matter. It was neatly and compactly made. Tlie two eggs 

 were dead white, not creamy or buff, and sparsely dotted with reddish 

 about the larger end. 



From the first we were careful not to frighten the birds, and they soon 

 became accustomed to our presence. One bird would be almost constantly 

 on the nest, while the other would establish a perch on a bush just across 

 the stream, darting off now and then to catch insects on the wing, and 

 frequently bringing them to its mate. The eggs were hatched on the 

 13th and 14th respectively, and then the parents were kept very busy 

 supplying the young birds with food. On the 18th the young were 

 mysteriously removed from the nest, probably by the parent birds, and I 

 saw no more of that particular family. 



On July 10 I found a pair of Island Flycatchers building their nest in a 

 small pocket in the face of a huge projecting rock over the same stream, 

 half a mile above our camp. It was a situation inaccessible without the 

 aid of a long ladder or a rope, and I was unable to examine the nest. 



On July 18 I found a bird's nest, which was built in one of the sea-side 

 caves for which Santa Cruz is famous. This was a very compact and 



