CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 



452. Myiarchus crinitns. 9 inches. 



They are found most often in swampy woods, or at 

 least in woods not far distant from water. It is very 

 noisy in the mating season but its notes are rather 

 more musical than those of the Kingbirds. Th<\v ap- 

 pear to be of a quarrelsome disposition for rarely will 

 more than one pair be found in a single piece of woods. 

 They also frequently chase smaller birds, but never 

 attack larger ones, as do the Kingbirds. They have a 

 queer habit of placing a piece of snakeskin in the hole 

 in which their nest is located, for what purpose, unless 

 to scare away intruders, is not kown, but it seems to 

 be a universal practice. 



Notes. A clear whistle wit-whit, wit-whit repeated 

 several times. This is the most common call; they 

 have many others less musical. 



Nest. Of straw, etc., in holes of dead limbs. Eggs 

 four to six in number; buffy white, streaked and 

 blotched with brown. 



Range. Eastern N. A. from the Plains to the At- 

 lantic, breeding north to southern Canada. 



