210 BIRDS OF JSToRTH CAROLINA 



washed with dusky grayish on the breast and sides, and generally with a slight tinge of yellow- 

 ish on the belly; lower mandibles usually horn-color. Im. Underparts slightly more yellow; 

 wing-bars more buffy. L., 5.41; W., 2.51; T., 2.21; B. from N., .31. 



Remarks. This is the smallest of our flycatchers. Its size, the comparative absence of 

 yellow on the underparts, and the generally horn-colored or brown lower mandibles are its 

 chief distinguishing characters. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range in United States. Eastern States, breeding northward. Winters, like the rest of the 

 genus, wholly south of the United States. 



Range in North Carolina. The mountain region in summer between 2,000 and 4,000 feet 

 elevation, breeding at least sparingly. 



PIG. 165. LEAST FLYCATCHER. 



The Least Flycatcher, the smallest species of the family occurring with us, is a 

 regular summer visitor in portions of the mountains. In late May, 1885, Brewster 

 found it of sparse but general distribution in parts of Buncombe, Haywood, Macon, 

 and Jackson counties. Cairns regarded it as a rare summer visitor in Buncombe 

 County, but in all his years of observation found only one nest. Rhoads discovered 

 it breeding on Roan Mountain. C. S. Brimley took one near Highlands, Macon 

 County, on May 9, 1908, but, judging from the size of the ovaries, it was probably 

 a migrant. 



We have only one record of the arrival of this species in the State from its winter 

 home in the south, namely, at Highlands, where it was observed by C. L. Boynton 

 on April 24, in 1886. 



This species is said to be less of a forest-loving bird than the others of the genus, 

 preferring open country. The nest is a compact, cup-shaped structure, placed in 

 the upright fork of a small tree. The only nest found by Cairns was in a per- 

 simmon tree at a height of twenty feet from the ground. The eggs are pure white, 

 usually unspotted, averaging .65 x .50. 



42. FAMILY ALAUDID>. LARKS 



A family of Old World birds, represented in America by one genus and a single 

 species. A number of slightly differing geographical races or subspecies are recog- 

 nized by ornithologists. The birds most commonly called "larks" in this State, 

 namely, the Meadowlark or "Field Lark" (Sturnella magna), and the Pipit or 

 "Skylark" (Anthus rubescens), belong to other families, and are not true larks. 



