ri.v\T' nKRa 251 



catcher, Is not Identifiable .Uu-i,.i;*i imlln waa described by Audubon IT-;,, 

 ArkaiiMA*. ami Mr. firewater considers specimens from ArluuuuM and the Mm 

 taippi Valley south ..f latnn.li> r an Inseparable from those inlmt>i(in K d,.- 

 region weatward to the I'aciflc. to which I..- ,.ul,| therefore apply the nanio 

 KmpidoHnjc t< nitlii. In brief, the form previously known an K. jnuillut Ijioouiss 

 K r mi/Hi, and the Mbwbmlpj.i Valley bir.U si.ulli of latitude -.-. which formerly 

 were ronridnmrt the same as those from the Atlantic Stale*, are placed with I !> 

 westtna rather than the eastern bird. Thin course leave* the eastern bird with- 

 out a name, and Mr. BrewBter proposes to call It A.'m/ 1. /..>,, u tnnlln aim/rum ; 

 Alder Flycatcher. 



Western pecimen* arrrngr Homewhat browner than eaHtern ones, and hare 

 lightly lancer bilU, but. In my opinion, ilu- ilifTi-rencea are too ulijfht to warrant 

 tii.-ir < iration, and I would apply the name tnullii i both. 



467. Empidon&x minimns />'//>./. I.K.\.T FI.V. \T. MKU: < 

 A<l. Dp|M?r parta U'twi--ii olive i;iV(-ii mul olive or olive-brown; wingaand 

 tail fuM.*oiw; greater anil lower wins; covert* tiiiu'i-<l with ashy white; under 

 partK whiti.-li, woithed with ilu.sky ^niyi.sh on tlie )>ri-a.-t un<l r-iile.s mi. I gen- 

 erally with a jtli^'lit tin^'o of yellow'^h on the tn-lly ; lower mandible generally 

 Aor/i-w/or. 1m. I'n.ler j>aru* slightly more- yellow. I.., .141; \V., 2-51 ; T., 

 I'.. lrm X., -31. 



Jttmark*. -Thw in the Miiallest of ,.ur Flyeat.-liers. It- *iti; tlic c-otnpara- 

 tive abucncc of yellow on tJie under j>arb*, and the generally horij-colored or 

 brown lower maiuiible are it.> rhief <li.stiiirui.sliiii)r oharactcrs. 



IlniHjf. Ku--tern t'nited States; breeds t'roin Pennsylvania to Quebec, and 

 Mouthward in Alle^hanies to North Carolina; winter* in trupicH. 



Wanliinirton. c<immnii T. V.. Aj-1. :(.'> to May 25 ; Aug. 28 to Sept. -J.".. Sing 



Sim:, tolerably com n S. U.. Apl. 25 to Aug. 20. Cambridge, abundant 



May 1 to Aug. 25. 



AW/, of plant down, plant fibers, r-H.tlets. fine strips of bark, and long 

 haire, generally in a crotch five to fifteen feet up. /./</*. three to five, white, 

 unmarked, -M x .'>!. 



When music was ilistril>utel. I hcliev.- most of our Flycatchers had 

 back seats. It was an unfortunate circumstance, fur their Milcntary 

 habits anil apparently thoughtful, serious, even poetic dispositions 

 make one believe that with proper training they might have taken 

 high rank as musician*. 



Instead of the simple melody we might expect to hear from the 

 modest Least Flycatcher, he salutes us with a singularly inappropriate, 

 business-lik. /!*/>>, varying the performance by murderous 



sallies after {Missing insects. In crescendo passages he literally rises to 

 the occasion, and on treinUini: wings sings an absurd " rhebtc, tooral- 

 ooral, chfbr'i; tttornl-onrul" with an earne-tness dt-M-rving better result s. 



The Cheln-c. however. JMISM'VS.-X nriginalit y : we can not confuse his 

 Toice with that of any other 1-inl. and young ornithologists should 

 give him a vote of I hanks for hi- i-lear enunciation. 



He prefer- fruit and shade tree* to those of forest growth, and is 

 therefore an inhabitant of our lawns and orchards. 



