22 CouES on Nesting of Flycatchers in MissoiiH. 



gain some interest from the part of the country whence they come ; as it 

 seems to be not generally known that these two birds are common summer 



residents in the county of St. Louis, Mo I experienced not the 



slightest difficulty in identifying all the species I met with, excepting 

 the small Flycatchers, which seem to be the stumbling-block of more ex- 

 perienced ornithologists than myself Not that I had much difficulty 



in distinguishing our Flycatchers in the field, which is very easy, having 

 had such good opportunity ; but to bring my observations in accord with 

 what all the books say, — that is where I experienced so much trouble that 

 I concluded to let you know some of these experiences. [*] 



" The birds I am writing of are Empidonax trailli and acadicus. Both 

 are summer residents in this county : acadicus in the forest only, but there 

 very abundant, — that means, one pair to every few acres; trailli is common 

 almost everywhere outside the forest, not only along the ' willow thickets 

 bordering streams and swamps,' but even here in the city, in all large 

 gardens, parks, orchards, pastures, cemeteries, etc. 



" Trailli is not the shy or retiring bird of some Eastern writers ; its 

 movements are not ' hidden by the foliage of trees,' as its station is gen- 

 erally on a prominent point, often the very top of a shrub or tree, or a 

 telegraph-wire, a fence, a weed-stalk. ' It would be quite difficult to detect 

 the presence of this small Flycatcher when the leaves are on the trees, 

 were it not for its notes, which are quite peculiar, sounding like the sylla- 

 bles ke-icick, rather slowly given, etc.,' says Maynard. I have heard 

 this call hundreds of times, as it is a very noisy bird in the middle part of 

 May, and may be heard all summer by an early riser; but I can never 

 make a ' ke-wick ' out of this song ; very easily can I make ' pretty dear,' 

 the translation Mr. Ridgway gives for the call of E. pusillus. 



" A different call is it again when Minot says : ' Their ordinary note is 

 a slightly querulous pii, which is often repeated, and which recalls the 

 voice of the Great Crested Flycatcher. Another note is pu-e'e ; . . . . 

 their song-note .... resembles the syllables chebee-u,' etc. All this is 

 totally at variance with my observations 



" In full accordance with my observations is Mr. Henshaw's account of 

 these two birds in the Bulletin, 18 76, pp. 14-1 7, and I indorse with pleasure 

 his account of the nest architecture of the birds. He says that E. trailli 

 builds in an upright fork. This is not to be understood that it must be an 

 upright branch ; the branch may be horizontal or drooping, but the nest 

 will be fastened to twigs which spring up and form an upright crotch. I 

 have seen many nests of acadicus in the woods, as they are easily found, 

 hanging in conspicuous places between 12 and 25 feet above ground. 

 They were all made alike, the only difference being that some were more 

 difficult to collect than others, hanging on slender limbs far from the trunk 



[* Mr. Widmann's experience is not singular ; and what capital satire, albeit 

 unconscious ! — C] 



