8966 Birds. 
This appears to be the only recorded occurrence of the redeyed fly-" 
catcher in Europe. It inhabits the continent and islands of North 
America. Wilson says that during the summer months “ it inhabits 
from Georgia to the river St. Lawrence, arriving late in April, and 
leaving Pennsylvania about the middle of September.” He was under 
the impression that it winters in Jamaica and the other West India 
Islands, but Gosse distinctly states that it dges not spend the winter 
in Jamaica—that it arrives there in March from the East, and departs 
in October: it is, therefore, probable that it spends the winter months 
in Venezuela or New Granada, or adjoining countries, reaching them 
by the Isthmus of Panama. It is very common in the United States, 
and also in Jamaica, and, owing to the peculiarity of its note, it is a 
very well-known bird. Mr. Gosse furnishes us with such a vivid 
sketch of its habits, that I am tempted to extract rather largely from 
his ‘ Birds of Jamaica.’ He says it is “ much oftener heard than seen, 
though not unfamiliar to either sense: this sober-coloured bird is one 
of those whose notes have such a similarity to articulations as to pro- 
cure them a common appellation. The flycatchers in general are not 
very vociferous, but this is pertinacious in its tritonous call, repeating 
it with energy every two or three seconds; it does not ordinarily sit 
on a prominent twig, or dart out after insects, though I have seen one 
in eager but unsuccessful pursuit of a butterfly (Terias), but it seems 
to love the centre of thick trees, where it sits announcing its presence, 
or flits from bough to bough as you approach, so that it is not easy to 
get a sight of it. : 
* On the 26th of March, on my return to Bluefields, after a visit to 
Spanish Town, I heard its well-known voice, but my lad had noticed 
it a week before: from this time every grove, I might almost say 
every tree, had its bird, uttering with incessaut iteration and untiring 
energy, from its umbrageous concealment, Sweet-John !—John-to- 
whit ! — Sweet-John-to-whit ! — John-t’whit ! — Sweet-John-to 
whit! Ican scarcely understand how the call can be written ‘ Whip- 
Tom-Kelly,’ as the accent, if I may so say, is most energetically on 
the last syllable. Nor have I ever heard this appellation given to it 
in Jamaica. After July we rarely hear John-to-whit, but To-whit— 
to-whoo ; and sometimes a soft simple chirp, or sip-sip, whispered so 
gently as scarcely to be audible. This, however, I have reason to 
believe, is the note of the young, for I have heard young ones re- 
peatedly utter it, when sitting on a twig, receiving from time to time, 
with gaping beak and quivering wing, the food contributed by the 
dam.” 
