CoUES on Nesting of Flycatchers in Missouri. 23 



of the tree. 1 would have sent you more of these beautiful acadicus nests, 

 but the good idea came a few days too late, all the birds having young 

 ones, which I would not distub. 



" I think the discrimination between the eggs of acadicus and trailli will 

 prove to be just as nice and delicate as that between the birds themselves ; 

 being much easier, however, with fresh, unblown eggs, as the finer tints 

 lose much by blowing, — as much as the fresh skin of E. acadicus loses of 

 the ' clear, continuous, and uniform olive-green ' by drying. 



"My reasons for sending you these nests and eggs are, therefore : — 

 1 . To aver the presence of these birds in this county. 2. To illustrate Mr. 

 Henshaw's observations. 3. Last, but not least, to give you pleasure, as 

 the present is offered as a token of the great esteem I have for you, and in 

 a sense of gratitude for what you have done and still do for this most beau- 

 tiful branch of natural science 



" Very truly yours, 



" Otto Widmann." 



Respecting the specimens thus courteousl}' submitted to my in- 

 spection I have a few remarks to offer. 



Empidonax acadicus. The two nests of this species are 

 stril-ingh/ different from the three of trailli in structure, in mate- 

 rial, and in position. They appear to have been taken from long, 

 slender, horizontal branchlets, in the horizontal forks of which they 

 rest. They are shalloiv nests, — in fact, rather saucer-like than 

 cup-shaped, some 3^ inches across outside, by less than 2 inches in 

 depth ; the cavity over 2 inches across the brim, by scarcely 1 inch 

 in depth. They are very light, " open-work " structures, so thinly 

 floored that the eggs may have been visible to one looking i;p from 

 below ; and the walls, though more compact, still let daylight 

 through on all sides. These nests, in short, may be compared to 

 light hammocks swung between forks. Each is composed almost 

 entirely of long walnut (Carya) aments, which, drooping in slender 

 sprays from all sides, give a tasteful, airy effect to these pretty 

 structures. There is a slight lining in each case of slender grass- 

 stems and still finer rootlets, loosely interlaid in every direction on 

 the bottom, rather circularly disposed around the brim. These 

 specimens were taken June 13 and 18, 1879, in hickory woods, at 

 altitudes of 10 and 15 feet. One deserted nest had a single egg; 

 the other three, much incubated. Independent of the pink blush 

 which the fresh egg may displa}^, the shell after blowing, while yet 

 unaltered, has a decidedly creamy tint, not quite so noticeable on 

 that of E. trailli. They are spotted with rich burnt umber, chiefly 



