BIRDS OF NEW YORK 45 



Phoebes were confined to the outskirts of the district in the more inhabited 

 localities, but Wood pewees were found about the old lumber camps and 

 slashings to an altitude of 3500 feet within 5 miles of the svimmit of Mt 

 Marcy. Least flycatchers lived in many of the burnt tracts and clearings 

 which had grown up to poplars, one pair being found on the slopes of Mt 

 Colvin above the Lower Ausable lake and several pairs about Elk lake. 

 Alder flycatchers inhabit the swamps at the head of the Upper Ausable and 

 about Elk lake and Boreas pond, being next to the Olive-sided flycatcher the 

 most conspicuous member of the family. The latter species was fairly 

 common in all the swamps and in many of the slashings to an altitude of 

 3800 feet. Yellow-bellied flycatchers were confined mostly to the cool, 

 mossy slopes, like those of Indian head and Geological cobble, Marcy and 

 Haystack, where we found them nesting in July. During our second visit 

 to Elk lake on July 23d, several of this species were also seen and heard 

 in different localities about the lake. It is probable that both this species 

 and the Alder flycatcher were actually as common as the Olive-sided, but 

 were more often overlooked as usually it was necessary to be within 20 

 rods of them before they were discovered, while the Olive-sided flycatcher 

 could often be seen and heard at a distance of several hundred yards when- 

 ever we came in its vicinity. A brood of Prairie homed larks, just able 

 to fly, was seen at Elizabethtown but none at Elk lake or at Boreas pond 

 clearing, although it is probable that this bird nests generally about the 

 edges of the wilderness wherever there is grass land of sufficient extent. 

 The Blue jay was one of the most generally distributed birds of the region, 

 being conspicuous everywhere, both about the clearings and in the depths 

 of the forest to an altitude of 4000 feet. The Canada jay was confined 

 mostly to the dense swamps about the head of the Upper Ausable, Elk 

 lake and Boreas ponds, but was seen on the summit of Bartlett ridge, 

 July 3d. Crows were uncommon at this season, except about the larger 

 clearings, and none were seen nearer than Keene Valley, Clear pond, and 

 the Flowed land. No ravens inhabited the region. We were told by Mr 

 Scott Brown, Superintendent of the Forest Reserve, that they were found 



