THE OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. 285 



about 5 feet from the trunk; the tree grew on a hillside near a little swamp, and 

 several tall dead stumps were still standing* on the partly cleared hills in the 

 vicinity. The birds betrayed the location of the nest by their excited actions 

 and incessant scolding - . They were very bold, flying close around the climber's 

 head, snapping their bills at him, and uttering angry notes of defiance rather 

 than of distress, sounding like "puy-pip-pip" or "wiip-wup-wiip." They could 

 not possibly have been more pugnacious. This nest, which is now before me, is 

 a well-built structure, and measures 4§ inches in outer diameter by If inches in 

 depth; the inner cup is very shallow, measuring 2% inches in diameter by 1 inch 

 in depth. It is outwardly composed of fine, wiry roots and small twigs, mixed 

 with long, green moss ( Usneci), and lined with fine roots and moss. It is securely 

 fixed among a mass of fine twigs growing out at that point of the limb, which 

 is only half an inch thick under the nest. During the first week of June, 1893, 

 we visited the same locality again, but these birds did not make their appearance 

 at the old nesting site until about June 15, and showed no desire to nest up to 

 the time we left, June 28. Two other pahs were also located, but no nests were 

 found. I am of the opinion that, as the season was unusually late, they postponed 

 nidification until at least three weeks later than usual. 



Mr. Belding states: "In California its nests are usually 40 or 50 feet from 

 the ground, rarely as low as 20 in cone-bearing trees, and are mostly composed 

 of yellow lichen (Evernia vulpina), lined sparingly, in several instances, with fine, 

 wiry rootlets." 1 



The nest is usually placed at a considerable height from the ground, say 

 from 40 to 60 feet, and always out on a limb; occasionally one is found not 

 over 20 feet up, but such instances so far as I. know are not common. The 

 nests are generally hard to get at, and as they are so shallow the contents are 

 frequently lost in trying to secure them. The Olive-sided Flycatcher usually 

 nests late, rarely before the middle of June, and sometimes not until the begin- 

 ning of July. Only a single brood is reared in a season; but if the eggs are 

 taken a second set is laid, and not infrequently in the same nest, if this has been 

 left. They are very much attached to localities once selected, and are loath to 

 leave them. The return migration to their winter haunts begins in the latter 

 part of August, and, as far as known, all of these birds pass beyond our border. 



It does not take very long to build the nest, and incubation lasts probably 

 not over fourteen days. The young are said to remain in the nest about three 

 weeks. The eggs are usually three in number, rarely more or less. Possibly 

 about one set in twenty will contain four eggs, and although it has been stated 

 that from three to five are laid, I do not believe that a set of five has ever been 

 taken. The shape of these eggs is mostly ovate; the shell is delicate and not 

 lustrous. The ground color varies from a pale to a rich cream, with a pinkish 

 tint, and they are usually spotted and blotched with different shades of chestnut, 

 ferruginous, heliotrope purple, and lavender, these markings generally forming 

 an irregular wreath about the larger end of the egg. 



1 Land Birds of the Pacific District, 1890, p. 97. 



