138 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



common northward. In the more southern part of the state 

 the first Phoebes are heard in the last week of February, not only in 

 the southeast, but also in the Ozarks (February 28, 1903, Salem, 

 Dent Co., Mr. F. C. Pellet) (February 29, 1904, Monteer, Shannon 

 Co., Mr. W. G. Savage). In the neighborhood of St. Louis the 

 earHest males arrive on their accustomed stands during the first 

 week of March, but often bad weather makes them very miserable 

 and they have to wait from three to six and more days for their 

 mates to join them, so that it is usually not far from the middle 

 of March before the species becomes readily observable in its 

 old haunts. In exceptionally inclement March weather as in 

 1906 the Phoebe can not be expected before April, when, in ordi- 

 nary seasons, it is laying eggs (first egg March 31, 1903, Mont- 

 gomery City; April 1, 1904, St. Louis). North of latitude 39° 

 the absence of unif ormit)^ in our March weather is clearly reflected 

 in the great diversity in the dates of first arrivals, varying at 

 Keokuk between March 6, 1894, and April 2, 1895, in a series 

 of observations during thirteen years (1892 to 1904 incl.) by 

 Mr. E. S. Currier. Mostly silent and retiring in autumn, their 

 departure is not so easily noticed as their arrival in spring, which 

 they announce loudly and with much constancy for hours at a 

 time. Temporary conspicuousness is observable on fine October 

 days, which probably means the presence of transient visitant 

 resting only for a day or two. The last are noted during the 

 second half of October, even in the more southern part of the 

 state. Latest for Keokuk, October 16, 1900: for St. Louis, 

 October 27, 1885. 



457. Sayornis saya (Bonap.). Say's Phoebe. 



Muscicapa saya. Sayornis sayus. 



Geog. Dist. — ^Western United States from the Pacific to the 

 Plains, and from southern Mexico to the Arctic circle. Common 

 in western Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Said to extend 

 its range eastward. 



Was reported once from Butler, Bates Co., by Mr. Harvey 

 Clark in 1886, and has occurred in southeastern Nebraska, 

 Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois as an accidental visitor. 



459. NuTTALLORNis BORE ALis (Swains.). Olive-sided Flycatcher. 



Tyrannus horealis. Contopus borealis. 



Geog. Dist. — Breeds from the mountains and northern parts 

 of the United States north to Athabaska and southern Keewatin, 



