Plate XXXV. 



EMPIDONAX JRAILUI-Traill's Flycalcher. 



Traill's Flycatcher arrives in Central Ohio about the beginning of the second week in May, and 

 remains nntil early in September. Nest-building commences the last of ^May or the first of June. 

 Occasionally two broods are raised hj a single pair. 



LOCALITr: 



The nest is generally placed in a bush or small tree, in a damp and shady spot, such as an island 

 in a river or creek, or a low piece of woodland. The species may occur in abundance in a locality of 

 only a few acres, and be entirely absent for miles around. A piece of moist land, near a small water- 

 course, overgrown with elders, willows, and such rank weeds as are common to these places, and inter- 

 spersed here and there with large elms or sycamores, is a typical nesting locality. The majority of nests 

 in my possession have been taken from elders, and my impression is that this is the favorite bush for the 

 site, and next in choice is the willow. I have never found the nest in upland woods, such as is frequented 

 often by the Acadian Flycatcher. It is probable, however, that such timber-land is sometimes selected. 



POSITION" : 



The nest is almost always built in a perpendicular fork formed of two or more small branches, and 

 is never but a few feet above the ground, the average distance being somewhat less than that given for 

 E. acadicus. When in an elder bush, its height is between two and five feet; but when in a willow or 

 small tree it is usually double this distance. Nineteen nests out of twenty-one examined were placed in 

 perpendicular foi'ks ; the remaining two were built upon horizontal branches, and were supported at the 

 side by several small upright twigs. 



MATERIALS : 



The foundation and superstructure ordinarily consist of flaxen fibres from the inside bark of dead 

 trees and weeds, mixed with a few blades of grass and pieces of slender weed-stems. Some nests are 

 made of flaxen fibres alone, tightly felted, and are very tidy in appearance, and some are made almost 

 entirely of grasses and weed-stems ; these are much rougher externally. In fact, the compactness and 

 neatness of the nest bear an inverse ratio to the quantity of grasses and weed-stems that are mixed with 

 the fibres. Whitish pieces of felt-like material, composed of j)lant-down or very fine fibres, are frequently 

 to be seen hanging loosely about the rim or from the sides of the nest; and pieces of rag or paper are 

 sometimes utilized in construction. Occasionally a nest is seen that, although compact and well made 

 about the rim, is very loose and scraggy about the base, having long grass or fibres hanging several 

 inches below the lowest ^^oint of support. The lining is most frequently made of narrow or split blades 

 of soft grass and pieces of roller-grass in various proportions, to which are sometimes added shreds of 

 grape-vine bark, a few horse-hairs, feathers, or ];)laiit-down. Of the twenty-one nests examined, one con- 



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