368 BIEDS TYRANNID^. 



the borders of streams, old fields and fence rows. Mr. Langdon 

 mentions their especial abundance in " woods and groves " bordering 

 marshes on the northern shore of Lake Erie. In this city they have 

 evidently greatly increased in numbers, as well as others of the family, 

 and I have thought this increase coincident with, and because of, the 

 introduction of water works. 



The nest of the King-bird is built in trees, very frequently a sycamore 

 or elm near a stream, or an isolated tree in the middle of a field is chosen. 

 Orchards afford favorite nesting sites. The nest is usually placed from 

 twenty to thirty feet above the ground, on or in the fork of a limb. It 

 is composed of coarse grasses, rootlets and vegetable fibers, well lined 

 with fine grass, feathers, and hair. The eggs are generally four, some- 

 times six, of a rich creamy white color, spotted and blotched with dark 

 rich brown. They measure .95 by .70. I once found the nest placed in 

 the perpendicular fork of a small willow which grew up from the bottom 

 of a pond. The nest was hardly a foot above water, and was much more 

 neatly and compactly built than is ordinarily the case. 



Genus MYIA.ECHUS. Cabanis. 



Head moderately crested. Wings about equal to the long, broad, even tail, scarcely 

 reaoliing to its middle ; Ist primary shorter than 6th. Tarsus equal to middle toe, which 

 is decidedly longer than hind toe. 



MYIA.KCHDS CEiNiTtrs (L.) Cab. 



Gi-reat Crested Flycatclier. 



Musoioapa orinita, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Snrv., 1838, 163. — Audubon, B. Am,, i, 1840, 



211 ; Orn. Biog., ii, 1834, 166. 



Tyranrma crinilus, Ebad, Pam. Visitor, iii, 1853, 351 ; Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 

 1853, 393. 



Myiarchus crinilus, Baird, P. R. R. Rep., ix, 1858, 179. — Kirkpatkick, Ohio Farmer, viii, 

 1859, 379.— Whbaton, Ohio Agrio. Rep. for 1860, 1861, 362 ; Reprint, 4 ; Food of 

 Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1674, 1875, 5(id; Reprint, 8. — Langdon, Cat. Birds 

 of Gin., 1877, 10; Revised List, Jouru. Gin. Soo. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 177; Reprint 11; 

 Summer Birds, ib , iii, 1880, 225. 



Muscicapa orinita, LiNNiEUS, Syst. Nat,, 1776, 326. 

 Tyrannus crinilus, Swainson, Zool. Journ., xx, 1826, 271. 

 Myiarchus crinilus, Cabanis, J. f. O , 1855,479. 



Decidedly olivaceous above, a little browner on the head, where the leathers have dark 

 centers; throat and fore breast pure dark-ash, rest of under parts bright jellow, the two 

 colors meeting abruptly ; primaries margined on both edges with chestnut ; secondaries 

 and coverts edged and ripped with yellowish white; tail, with all thu feaibers but the 

 central pair, chestnut on the whole of the inner web, excepting, perhaps, a very uar- 



