440 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSEBES— CLAMATOBES. 



well-turned brim, of fine fibres stuck over with lichens, the whole looking much like a nat- 

 ural excrescence of the tree. Eggs 4-5, creamy-white, marked with reddish-brown and 

 lilac in various pattern, usually wreathing and blending about the larger end, sparser else- 

 where ; size about 0.75 X I'.Oo — pe-d-xvee ! d-pee-ivee' ! 

 383. C. V. rlch'ardsoni. (To Sir John Richardson.) Western Wood Pewee. Similar; darker, 

 more fuscous-olive above, the shading of the sides reaching almost uninterruptedly across tlie 

 breast ; belly rather whitish than yellowish ; outer primary usually not obviously wliite-edged ; 

 bill below tiftener dusky than yellow, sometimes quite black. 1 fail to appreciate any reliable 

 difl'crences in size or shape ; or, in fact, any specific character. It is impracticable to pronounce 

 upon a pewee, in the closet, without knowing the locality ; but those familiar with both Eastern 

 and Western birds in field, agree that they are not exactly the same. Note not exactly like that 

 of virens; nesting said to be drfl'erent {Audulmn, AUen). Kocky Mountains to the Pacific; 

 "Labrador" {Audubon). {Tyrannula ricJmrdsonii Sw., Fu. Bor.-Am., ii, 1S3I, p. 146? 

 Contopus richardsonii Bd., B. N. Am., 1858, p. 189 ; Muscicapa phahe Aud., B. Am., Svo. ed., 

 i, 1840, p. 219, pi. 61 ; Nutt., Man. i, 2d ed., 1840, p. 319. See Coues, B. N. W., 1S74, 

 p. 247.) 

 123. EMPIDO'NAX. (Gr. f^TriV.gen. f/j7ri'So5, fwpjs, cwjJjrfos, agnat; aVa^, rofoa', king. Fig. 280, rf.) 

 The Little Olivaceous Flycatchers. Small olivaceous species, 5.00-6.00 (rarely 6.25) 

 long ; wing 3.12 or less; tail 2.75 or less; whole foot at least id as long as wing ; tarsus more 

 or less obviously longer than middle toe and claw, much longer than bill ; 2d, 3d and 4th quills 

 entering into point of wing, 1st shorter or not obviously longer than 5th ; tail not over i an inch 

 shorter than wings ; breast not bufi'y. (Compare Sayiornis, Contopus, Mitrephanes.') As in 

 aUied genera, several outer primaries are slightly emarginate on the inner web, but this character 

 is obscure, often inappreciable, and may be disregarded. The coronal feathers are lengthened 

 and erectile, but scarcely form a true crest. There are never any more conspicuous color-marks 

 than in Sayiornis fusca or Contopus virens. The bill varies with the species in size and 

 shape, from almost as broad and flat as in a wood pewee in acadicus, to the narrower shape oi 

 a pewit in ohscurus; but it is always much shorter than the tarsus. It should not be difficult 

 to recognize Empidonax as different from Contopus, due attention being given to the nice points 

 of diagnosis ; but it is a very difficult matter to discriminate the numerous species, requiring 

 much tact, care, and patience. The following account, carefully prepared after examination of 

 a great amount of material from all parts of the country, will probably suffice to determine 

 ninety out of a hundred specimens ; but I confess it does not entirely satisfy me ; and, as it does 

 not fully answer all the requirements of the case, it must be regarded as provisional. How 

 much alike are these interesting little birds may be inferred from the fact that Wilson knew 

 but a single species, acadicus, to which Audubon added but one, trailli, until Baird showed him 

 two more, minimus aud flavirentris. Yet these four are perfectly distinct birds. Any experienced 

 collector knows them to be different, not only when he has them in hand, but in life, by their 

 haunts and habits, their notes, nests and eggs — indeed, the nests and eggs of each of them are 

 readily discriminated. Three of them are common New England breeders — trailli, minimus, 

 and flaviventris; Avhile acadicus is the common breeder in the Middle States. The case is 

 complicated, however, in the West. The two exclusively Western species, hammoiidi and 

 ohscurus, are pretty distinct — entirely so from each other; but the reciignition oi ^^ pusillus" 

 and especially " difficilis" is somewhat conventional. Since 1858, when Baird first fixed the 

 species upon anything like a satisfactory footing, no changes whatever of his determinations 

 and characterizations have been established ; and as it is useless to exchange one doubtful 

 opinion for another, the less obvious species may be suffered to remain as he left them. It is 

 not reasonably possible to analyze all the forms in concise phrase ; the student must go at once 

 to the detailed descriptions ; but the foUowiug may help him somewhat : — 



