THE ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 305 



The average measurement of seventy-six eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 18.37 by 13.53 millimetres, or about 0.72 by 0.53 inch. 

 The largest egg of the series measures 20.07 by 14.73 millimetres, or 0.79 by 

 0.58 inch; the smallest, 16.76 by 12.70 millimetres, or 0.66 by 0.50 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 24816 (PI. 2, Fig. 26), from a set of three eggs, 

 taken by Mr. Gr. E. Mitchell, June 13, 1888, near Washington, District of 

 Columbia, represents one of the lighter-colored and least-marked specimens, 

 while No. 24949 (PI. 2, Fig. 27), also from a set of three eggs, Ralph collection, 

 taken May 23, 1880, near Washington, Pennsylvania, represents about an 

 average egg of this species. 1 



113. Empidonax pusillus ( Swainson). 



LITTLE FLYCATCHER. 



Platyrkynchus pusillus Swainson, Philosophical Magazine, I, May, 1827, 366. 

 Empidonax pusillus Cabanis, Journal fiir Ornithologie, 1855, 480. 

 (B 141, C 257a, R 325, C 386, U 466.) 



Geographical range: Chiefly western and portions of eastern North America; 

 north to southern British Columbia and the northern border of the western United States, 

 in the drier and more open districts; east to about the eastern limits of the Great Plains 

 and the Mississippi Valley, in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and probably still 

 farther in this direction, as well as in most of the intervening regions; south in winter 

 through the Mississippi Valley, Texas, and Mexico, to Central America. 



The breeding range of the Little Flycatcher, also known as the "Little 

 Western Flycatcher," extends north to the interior of southern British Columbia, 

 and sporadically farther east to the northern border of our adjoining States, in 

 Idaho, Montana, and western North Dakota. Still farther east it reaches the 

 western portions of North and South Dakota, the greater part of Nebraska, por- 

 tions of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, and probably to southern Indiana 

 and Ohio; while to the southward it is found in all the intervening country, 

 including California, Arizona, New Mexico, northern and western Texas, and 

 portions of the Indian Territory, excepting the dry and arid desert regions. 



The Little Flycatcher is an abundant summer resident in all suitable 

 localities throughout the western United States, its favorite haunts being the 

 willow-covered islands and the shrubbery along water courses, beaver meadows, 

 and the borders of the more open mountain parks; in such places it some- 

 times reaches an altitude of 8,000 feet in summer, especially in California, 

 Colorado, and Utah. It is pretty generally distributed at this time through 

 Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colo- 

 rado, New Mexico, Arizona, and western Texas, and it probably also breeds in 

 the higher mountains of Lower California. I have found this species in many 



'Mr. William Brewster lias recently conclusively demonstrated that the name of Empidonax virescens 

 (Vicillot) will have to be substituted for that of Empidonax acadicus (Gmelin), see "The Auk," Vol. XII, 

 1895, pp. 157-159. 



16896— No. 3 20 



