GIRAUD'S FLYCATCHER. 255 



stretching* its neck out, after the manner of a Dove. It frequently flies out from 

 its perch after passing insects, like a Wood Pewee or Kingbird. This bird 

 bathes frequently during the day if the sun is shining, flying down into the 

 water with a splash, then up to its perch again, where it dresses its feathers. 

 This style of bathing I have noticed only in Giraud's Flycatcher. 



"The nest is a beautiful structui'e, roofed over, with the entrance at one 

 side. It is usually profusely covered with living moss, and is generally placed 

 in a bush or tree over the water, from 5 to 1 5 feet up as a rule. Nests are often 

 placed in bunches of bananas, and I have found them in young lime trees, 4 

 feet from the ground. One nest, found in a clump of vines, was fully 30 feet 

 from the ground. I found a nest May 13, containing three young- birds fully 

 fledged. The parent birds were very much excited while I remained in the 

 vicinity. The species is known as 'Little Kiskadee' by the English-speaking- 

 people here, on account of its resemblance to the Derby Flycatcher." 



Mr. E. W. Nelson writes me: "I found Giraud's Flycatcher common along 

 tall hedges bordering fields near Jico, Vera Cruz, Mexico, during June and 

 July, 1893. They were also particularly common along streams bordered by a 

 more or less straggling growth of tall bushes. They appeared to nest only in 

 the latter situations — a dozen or more of their nests were found here, all 

 similarly situated. They were placed in forks near the tops of tall, slender, and 

 generally overhanging bushes, from 12 to 15 feet from the ground. In several 

 instances the nests were placed in the tops of bushes overhanging streams. 

 There was not the slightest attempt at concealment, and the nests Avere usually 

 visible at a considerable distance, appearing like large, ragged handfuls of dry 

 grass thrust carelessly into the forks of the bushes. They were still more 

 conspicuous from the fact that they were usually built in the tops of bushes 

 somewhat taller than the average, or apart from the general mass of surrounding 

 vegetation. 



"Unfortunately, all of the nests examined were either occupied by young or 

 had already been deserted; they were all lined with fine grass stems. The old 

 birds were not at all shy, but watched my approach with considerable anxietv 

 hovering about from the top of one bush to another, in the vicinity of nests 

 containing young, uttering- clear, plaintive, whistling notes of alarm, with occa- 

 sional harsher, chattering cries. When undisturbed these birds perch quietly on 

 conspicuous points, whence they dart off after passing insects or utter occasional 

 mellow, whistling call notes. They are usually rather quiet birds, although 

 always conspicuous from the nature of their surroundings. The upper limit of 

 their range, near Jalapa, Vera Cruz, appears to be about 4,500 feet." 



Mr. Gr. K. Cherrie, of San Jose, Costa Rica, has kindly presented the 

 United States National Museum with a well-preserved nest of this species, and 

 also a handsome set of eggs, the first fully identified specimens in the collection. 

 Since these have been received I find that the late Col. A. J. Grayson had taken 

 the nest and eggs of Giraud's Flycatcher near Mazatlan, Mexico, years pre- 

 viously, and a short but correct description of the nest is given in the Memoirs 



