322 THE YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 



upon her eggs with a soft titter of content. But why not ? Who could wish to 

 harm so gentle a creature ? 



In no way do birds exhibit greater diversity of character than in their 

 treatment of intruders. Some will nutter about you savagely when the nest 

 is being examined, and snap their mandibles as tho wishing .you were only the 

 size of a horse-fly ; others sit at a distance and utter a mournful plaint ; while 

 others still disappear from view entirely. 



That the Wood Pewee is a bird of spirit the red squirrel can testify. I 

 once saw one of those arch-destroyers trying to make his way along a walnut 

 limb which was evidently forbidden territory. A Pewee had him under fire, 

 and every time his head came round above the limb she set upon him fiercely. 

 If the viciously clicking mandibles did not succeed in finding one of those evil 

 eyes, the flashing fire from the bird's eye must certainly have singed his 

 whiskers. No telling what would have happened had there not been one who 

 intervened. 



No. 141. 



YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 



A. O. U. No. 463. Empidonax flaviventris Baird. 



Description. Adult : Above dull olive-green, shading on sides and breast 

 into greenish yellow of under parts, the latter shade purest (sulphur-yellow) 

 on belly ; wings and tail fuscous ; the middle and greater coverts tipped, and the 

 inner quills edged with light greenish yellow or whitish ; secondaries abruptly 

 yellow-edged on terminal half of outer webs ; tip of wing formed by second, third 

 and fourth primaries ; the first shorter than the fifth ; a yellow eye-ring ; bill dark 

 above, pale below ; feet blackish. Immature : Similar, but duller above ; brighter 

 yellow below; the wing-bands buffy or ochraceous. Length 5.00-5.75 (127.- 

 146.1) ; av. of ten Columbus specimens: wing 2.67 (67.8) ; tail 2.02 (51.2) ; bill 

 from nostril .32 (8.1) ; width at base .31 (7.9). 



Recognition Marks. Warbler size ; general yellowness, the constancy and 

 strength of the yellow is distinctive. 



Nesting. Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, chiefly of moss, placed on 

 or near ground, in upturned roots, under fallen logs, or in moss-bank. Eggs, 

 4, creamy-white, spotted and speckled, chiefly about larger end, with cinnamon- 

 brown. Av. size, .67 x .52 (17. x 13.2). 



General Range. Eastern North America, west to the Plains, and from 

 southern Labrador south through eastern Mexico to Panama, breeding from the 

 northern States northward. Casual in Greenland. 



Range in Ohio. Probably not uncommon during migrations. Owing to its 

 retiring habits few observers have reported it. 



