THE ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 



327 



Into the frail saucer three eggs are commonly put. They are of a rich 

 creamy or buffy hue, flesh-tinted as well, when fresh, and boldly but sparingly 

 spotted about the larger end with light brown or umber; never "white," and 

 seldom unmarked. Many eggs must be lost each season, for any considerable 

 wind would upset them. In fear and trembling I once hooked down a nest at 

 the end of a horizontal oak branch full twenty feet high. The single youngster 

 which it contained appeared, however, to enjoy the ride immensely. If there 

 had been eggs, they could have been counted from below, as in most cases. 



The Acadian Flycatcher lays its first eggs before the end of May, and 

 is ready for a second family early in July. It is believed that some thrifty 

 birds raise three broods in a season, but this must be rare. 



Considerable fault has been found with the name Acadian. It is a mis- 

 nomer in so far as it is under- 

 stood to refer to a certain local- 

 ity in Nova Scotia. The 

 "Green-c rested Fly- 

 catcher" of the A. O. U. 

 committee is worse yet. 

 It is a revival of the 

 "Small Green-crested 

 Flycatcher" of Audu- 

 bon and others, but it is 

 inapt. It reminds one 

 strongly of Cuvier and 

 the French Academy. 

 Cuvier once asked the 

 French savants to define 

 a crab. "A crab", said 

 these wiseacres, "is a 

 small, red fish which 

 back w a r d." 

 good, Gentle- 

 replied Cuvier, 

 good ; only a 



CLEANING THE NEST. 



CLOSE OF EACH vi 



crawls 

 "Very 

 men," 

 "very 



crab is not a fish ; it is 

 not red ; and it does not crawl backward." If the discontent with "Acadian" 

 cannot be subdued, I would propose a revival of the term Sylvan, once em- 

 ployed for several Flycatchers indiscriminately but now fallen into disuse. 

 Sylvan Flycatcher would accurately and appropriately distinguish Empi- 

 dona.v I'ircscens in Ohio. 



