250 



FLYCATCHERS. 



rapid twitching of the tail. A more peculiar note is a louder pee-e- 

 yuk. Tile bird seems to articulate this note with difTiculty, with bill 

 pointed upward and wings trembling like a fledgling begging for food. 

 Sometimes you may hear only the first call, sometimes only the 

 second, while on other occasions the two may be uttered alternately. 

 A rarer note may be heard when the bird nuikes a short, fluttering 

 flight. It resembles the soft murmuring of whistling wings. 



466a. Empidonax traillii (ylM(/.)- Tkaili/s Flycatciikr. .-i^.— 

 Up])fr jmrts between olive-green luid olive or ol.ive-hrown ; wings and tail 

 fuscous; greater and lesser wing-coverts tipped with brownish ashy; under 

 partes v.hitish, wasliod with clusliy grayish on the breast and sides and pale 

 yellowish on the belly ; throat pure white ; upper mandible black, lower 

 nmndiblo whitish or Hesh-eolor. Im. — 8iMiilar, but wing-bars ocliraceous- 

 burt'aud under parts slightly yellower. L., t)'OD ; W., 2-87; T., 2-33; B. from 



JS'., "oO. 



lieinai'ks. — This ia the broiriwd of our amall Flycatchers. The upper 

 parts have an evident tinge of brown or olive-brown, u color entirely want- 

 ing in the Acadian and YeUow-boUicd Flycatchers. In this respect it resem- 

 bles the much smaller Least Flycatcher. 

 ' liaiKje. — North America; breeds from Arizona, Missouri, southern Illinoia, 

 northern New Knglaud, and casually Connecticut, north to New Brunswick 

 and Alaska; winters in Central America. 



Washington, irregularly common T. V., May 10 t<> May 28; .\ug. IT) to 

 Sci)t. 2."). Sing Sing, rare T. V., May l'.» to May 31 ; Aug. 21». Cambridge, 

 rare T. V., May 2ri to May 31 ; Aug. 



Ne»t, of coarse grasses, plant down, ami plant fibers. \\\Wi\ with tine grasses, 

 in the crotch of a small bush or saiilinif near the groimd. AV/f/s three to 

 four, oreainy wliito, with ciniuuuoM-brown markings about the larger end, 

 •73 X •.")4. 



While the Yellow-bolliod Flycatcher is distinctively a bird ft the 

 deep woods, this more abundant Flycatcher in its summer home 'e- 

 sorts to the alder patches of the open country and is seldom found far 

 from their protecting shade. It flits restlessly about, keeping well out 

 of sight below the waving tops of the bushes, and its presence is be- 

 trayed otdy by a single jx^p of alarm that in no way resemble^ the 

 mournful wail of the species just mentioned. It, too. is silent when 

 migrating, and on its breeding groujuls sings but little, so that if it 

 did not take pains to call out to every one who passes it would not be 

 noticed among the rustling alders. The song most resembles that of 

 the Acadian Flycatcher, an eo-zFP'-P-uiK with stress on the rasping 

 2r«", the latter part more musical. The performer jerks out the notes 

 rapidly, doubling himself up and fairly vibrating with the explosive 

 efl'ort. J. DwiGHT, Jr. 



Note— In The Auk for April. Wjf>^ Mr. William Brewster shows that the spe- 

 cifle name pusillua (Swains.), hitherto applied to the western form of this Fly- 



ik 



