113 



flew directly at me, biting, snapping its bill, and uttering piercing 

 screams. 



Dimensions. Average measurements of six specimens : length, 

 901; stretch, 13-49; wing, 4-14; tail, 3-75; bill from nostril, -62; 

 culmen, -77; gape, 1-09; tarsus, -84; middle toe, -50; its claw, -26. 



107. Sayornis fuscus (Gmelin). PIICEBE-BIRD; PEWEE FLY- 

 CATCHER. A common summer resident; breeds. Arrives early in 

 March (17, 1871; 26, 1872; 19, 1873; 21, 1874; 29, 1875; 28, 1876 [26, 

 de Nottbeck at Fishkill] ; 26, 1877; 13, 1878; 13, 1879; 2, 1880), and 

 remains until about the first of November (October 15, 1874; 23, 

 1876; 26, 1879). I have found its nest completed by April 10 (1880). 

 In 1878, its full complement of eggs was laid April 20, and the first 

 egg of their second brood was deposited on May 20th. A pair for 

 several years built their nest in a shaft of an iron mine, in a dark 

 and extremely humid situation; this nest contained no less than six 

 eggs, on May 3, 1880. 



Dimensions. Average measurements of fourteen specimens : length, 

 6-99; stretch, 11-03; wing, 3-38; tail, 2-89; bill from nostril, -41; cul- 

 men, -60; gape, '75; tarsus, -67; middle toe and its claw, -59; toe 

 alone, -40. 



108. Contopus borealis (Swainson). OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. 

 A common spring and fall migrant. Arrives late in May, and passes 

 through before June (May 25 to 28, 1876; 25 to 29, 1877; 16 to 25, 

 1878 ; 9, 1879) ; seen in autumn from the 27th of August to the 18th 

 of September (August 27 to September 18, 1875 ; September 5 to 15, 

 1876; September 1, 1879). 



I first saw the Olive-sided Flycatcher in September, 1872, when I sur- 

 prised several of them that were engaged in their favorite pastime of 

 plucking each other in mid-air, amidst a din of screams and vitupera- 

 tions, and settled their quarrel by summarily disposing of two of the 

 belligerents in my basket. Since then, I have found it nearly every 

 spring and autumn, and frequently, during the latter season, in con- 

 siderable numbers. In spring, when it is rather scarce, it is usually 

 seen singly, or in pairs, perched upon a dry limb on top of some tall 

 tree, sitting remarkably erect, with its crest raised. It- is frequently 

 very wild, and hard to shoot. 



Dimensions. Average measurements of five specimens : length, 

 7-39; stretch, 12-68; wing, 4-05; tail, 2-70; bill from nostril, -54; gape, 

 97; tarsus, -60; middle toe, -46; middle toe and its claw, -70. 



109. Contopus virens (Linne). WOOD PEWEE. A common 

 summer resident; breeds. Arrives from the South about the middle 

 of May (12, 1873; 12, 1874; 11, 1875; 19, 1876; 17, 1877; 20, 1878; 14, 

 1879; 13, 1880), and takes its departure late in September (21, 1874; 

 14, 1876; 11, 1880). 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XII. 8 



