1 1 The Birds of Albany County 



probable mode of building when the Indieins were the only 

 inhabitants of North America. 



Phoebe is a common simuner resident of Albany County, 

 arriving about the first of April and remaining until October. 



Crested Flycatcher; Great-crested Flycatcher. 

 Msiarchus crinitus. 9.00 



Uncommon Summer Resident 



Field marks. — Has direct and even flight; very unapproach- 

 able; upper parts brown, tinged with olive and grayish; 

 throat and breast light gray; belly sulphur-yellow. 



This is one of the real aristocrats among the birds. He 

 has, however, one or two habits which lay him open to the 

 charge of eccentricity, although his mellow call in the orchard 

 has a genial ring and his decorum is irreproachable. One of 

 his peculiarities is his insistence that there be a cast-ofi snake 

 skin in the lining of his nest. Why he does this has never 

 been satisfactorily explained. Probably Great-crest doesn't 

 himself know just why he does it; but one thing is sure, and 

 this is, that very few nests have been found without the snake 

 skin. The nest is built in a hollow tree, the former quarters 

 of a Woodpecker generally being utilized. 



The Great-crest is a bold, handsome fellow, the yellow 

 of his under parts being especially striking. His eggs present 

 beautiful examples of coloration and quaint markings. He 

 is never anywhere common. The first living example I ever 



