374 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Tliis species was found breetling at Fort Eesolution, latitude G2°, by Mr. 

 Kennicolt, the nest being in an alder-bush, and about Hve I'eet from the 

 ground. It was also found nesting in the same locality by Mr. Ross and by 

 Mr. Ix)ckhart. Its nest was found at Lake Manitobah by Mr. McTavish, 

 and at Fort Simpson by Mr. lioss. 



This species has been gradually undergoing certain modifications of habits 

 and manners in consetpience of its contact with civilization and becoming 

 familiarized to the society of man. In nothing is this made more apparent 

 than in the construction of its nests. Those made on the edge of woodlands 

 or in remote (jrchards are wrought almost entirely of fine deciduous bark, 

 hempen fibres of vegetables, feathers, dried fragments of insect cocoons, and 

 other miscellaneous substances felted and impacted together; within this is 

 a lining of fine strips of vegetable bark, woody fibres, fine lichens, and soft 

 downy feathers. In some the lining is exclusively of fine pine leaves, in 

 othei-s with the seeds or pappus of coinpositaceous plants. The nests are 

 always quite small, rarely measuring mf)re than three inches in diameter or 

 two in height. Tiiose made in the vicinity of dwellings indicate their neigh- 

 borhood by the variety of miscellaneous and convenient materials, such as 

 bits of paper, rags, cotton, wool, and the larger and more conspicuous feath- 

 ers of the poultry-yard. "Where raw cotton was abundantly pro\ided, I have 

 known this material, strengthened with a lew straws and woody fibres, with 

 a lining o'' feathers, constitute the whole substance of the nest. 



One nest, constructed in a thick tamarack swamp in Wisconsin, is com- 

 posed of a dense, impacted mass of a dirty white vegetable wool, inter- 

 twined at the base with shreds of bark, vegetable stems, and small black 

 roots. The inner rim and frame of the nest are made of black, shining root- 

 lets, intermingled with slender leaves and stems of dry sedges, and lined 

 with the pappus of a small composite plant and a few feathers. 



The eggs of this species are pure white, ne^■er, so far as I am aware, spot- 

 ted, of a rounded-oval shape, nearly equally obtuse at either end, and meas- 

 uring about .60 of an inch in length by .50 in breadth. 



Empidonax acadicus, Baird. 



SMALL OBEBN-CHESTED FLTCATCHEB. 



t Miiscicnpn acndim, Gmf.i.ix, Syst. Nut. I, 1788, 947. — Latham, Index Orn. II, 1790, 

 489. — Vii-.ii.i.oT, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 180", 71 (from LatiiamV — Aun. Orn. Hiog. II, 

 1834, ano ; V, 1839, 429, jil. oxliv. — In. Birds Am. I, 1840, 221, pi. Ixii. — Nuttali, 

 Man. I, 1832, 208. — GiuAin, Bird.s L. Isliuid, 1844, 40. Mvscieapa qxuriila, Wiwon, 

 Am. Orn. II, 1810, 77, pi. xiii, f. 3 (not of ViKii.i.or). "Plaii/rhi/nchiis virescens, 

 Vir.ll.I.nr." TjinutiniUi itcadien, Rkmiaimisiik, ? Hon. T.ist. Ti/rannii.i naiiiica, IsvT- 

 TAi.i,, Mnn. I, (2d <m1.,) 1840, 320. Eiiipiilimax anidiciin, Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 197. — ScLATKlt, Ciitnl. 1862, 229. — Sa.muels, 143. 



Sp. Char. Tlie second and third quills .are longest, nnd about equal; the fourth a little 

 shorter; the lirst about equal to the fifth, and about .35 less than the longest. Tail even. 



