190 



BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



GENUS MYIARCHUS OABANIS. 

 Myiarchus crinitus (LiNN.). 



Crested Flycatcher. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 91). 



" Length about 8^ inches ; extent about 13 inches ; head with a depressed crest ; 

 upper parts dull greenish-olive, with the feathers of the crown, and to some extent 

 of the back, showing their brown centers ; upper tail-coverts turning to pale rusty- 

 brown ; small feathers at the base of the bill, sides of the head as high as the upper 

 eyelid, sides of the neck, throat, and fore part of the breast, bluish-ashy ; the rest of 

 the lower parts, including axillaries and lower wing coverts, bright sulphur-yellow ; 

 a pale ring around the eyes ; sides of the breast and body tinged with olivaceous ; the 

 wings brown, the first and second rows of coverts, with the secondary and tertial 

 quills, margined externally with dull-white, or on the latter slightly tinged with 

 olivaceous-yellow ; primaries margined externally for more than half their length 

 from the base with ferruginous ; great portion of the inner webs of all the quills very 

 pale ferruginous ; the two middle tail feathers light brown, shafts paler, the rest 

 have the outer web and a narrow line on the inner sides of the shaft brown, pale 

 olivaceous on the outer edge, the remainder ferruginous to the very tip ; outer web 

 of exterior feather dull brownish-yellow ; bill dark-brown above and at the tip below, 

 paler towards the base." B. B. of N. A. 



Habitat. Eastern United States and Southern Canada, west to the plains, south 

 through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica. 



The Crested Flycatcher, although probably not as abundant as the 

 preceding- species, is a common summer resident in Pennsylvania. I 

 have seen these birds in the southern portions of this State as early as 

 the 23d of April, usually, however, they arrive about the first of May 

 and remain until late in September, when they migrate southward and 

 winter, it is stated, beyond the southern borders of the United States. 

 Although this species sometimes nests in orchards and other places near 

 houses, it is chiefly found in wooded districts. Unlike all other of our 

 flycatchers, these birds build their nests in holes of trees, and occasion- 

 ally in hollow fence rails or posts. I have examined thirteen nests of the 

 Crested Flycatcher, which were found in Pennsylvania, and in ten of 

 this number discovered the remains of cast off skins of snakes. The 

 eggs, usually five, are of a creamy brown ground color with numerous 

 dark brownish blotches or spots and lines, the latter generally of a purp- 



