144 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



with dull yellowish-white, most broadly on the latter; two transverse bands of pale- 

 yellowish across the wings, formed by the tips of the secondary and primary coverts, 

 succeeded by a brown one; tail light-brown, margined externally like the back; 

 upper mandible light-brown above, pale-yellow beneath. In autumn, the lower 

 parts are more yellow. 



Length, five and sixty-five one-hundredths inches; wing, three; tail, two and 

 seventy-five one-hundredths inches. 



Hah. — Eastern United States to the Mississippi. 



This bird is a rare summer inhabitant of any of the New- 

 England States, seldom coming so far north. I have had 

 no opportunities of observing its habits, and can give no 

 description from my own observati'on. Mr. Allen says that 

 it breeds in swamps and low moist thickets, which are its 

 exclusive haunts. 



Giraud, in his " Birds of Long Island," says, " In habits, 

 it is solitary ; generally seen on the lower branches of the 

 largest trees ; utters a quick, sharp note ; arrives among us 

 in the latter part of May, and retires southward early in 

 September." 



I have no nest, but understand that it resembles that of 

 the Least Flycatcher. Five eggs before me, furnished by 

 J. P. Norris, Esq., of Philadelphia, are of a pale creamy- 

 white color, with a few thin spots of reddish-brown scattered 

 over their larger end. They vary in size from .78 inch in 

 length by about .56 inch in breadth, to .72 inch in length 

 by .55 inch in breadth. The form is like that of E. traillii '; 

 but the spots are larger and more numerous. 



