54 C. H. Merriam Birds of Connecticut. 



wasps, arid humble-bees." In Prof. Whitney's private collection, and 

 in the beautiful cabinet of mounted birds presented by him to the Pea- 

 body Museum of Yale College, are two or three specimens of this bird, 

 which he killed in the vicinity of Northampton, Mass., some years ago 

 one as late as June 4th, (1846). Mr. Ruthveri Deane writes: "Dur- 

 ing the past three or four years I have observed each year several 

 specimens of this beautiful Flycatcher in the vicinity of Cambridge, 

 Mass., and, although I consider this a rare bird with us, I am inclined 

 to think a few breed within the limits of the State every year."* 

 The species was described by Nuttall, from specimens taken in the 

 vicinity of Cambridge, "in the woods of Sweet Auburn," in June, 

 1830 and 1831, and it has since been observed in eastern Massachu- 

 setts by Audubon (1832), Welch (1858), Brewster, Maynard, Cabot, 

 Minot, and others. Nuttall says that his friend, W. Cooper, Esq., 

 " received this bird likewise the preceding summer from the vicinity 

 of Cape May, and Egg-harbor, in New Jersey,"f but Turnbull gives 

 it as " very rare" in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and 

 states that it only occurs as a migrant, being " generally seen early 

 in May on its way north, . . . returns in September."! The occur- 

 rence in New Jersey, in "summer" (the month is, unfortunately, not 

 stated) would indicate its breeding there, which hardly seems cred- 

 ible from what is now known concerning its distribution, though it is 

 true that the " Pine- barrens" would aiford it many congenial spots 

 for nesting. Concerning their habits in the Adirondack region, in 

 northern New York, where they breed plentifully, I have already 

 observed that " they all seemed to have the same habit of choosing a 

 large hemlock tree with a few dead branches on top, and were sure 

 to light on the uppermost twig." Messrs. Maynard and Brewster 

 gave it as "quite common and breeding at Umbagog," Maine, 

 where " it has the habit of perching on dead stubs on the edge of 

 clearings."! Professor Verrill gave it as a "summer visitant, not 

 very common,"^[ at Norway, Maine (about forty miles south of 



* Am. Nat., vol. viii, No. 5, p. 308, May, 1874. 



f Manual of Ornithology, p. 284, 1832. 



\ The Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, by William P. Turnbull, 

 1869. 



Am. Nat., vol. vii, p. 750, Dec., 1873. 



|| A Catalogue of the Birds of Coos Co., N. H., and Oxford Co., Me., by C. J. May- 

 nard, with notes by William Brewster. From Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 

 xiv, p. 21, Oct. 18, 1871. 



Tf Catalogue of the Birds found at Norway, Oxford Co., Me., by A. E. Verrill. 

 From Proceed. Essex Institute, vol. iii, p. 144, May, 1863. 



