374 BIRDS — TYRANNID^. 



a yellowish eye-ring ; feet and upper mandible brown, lower mandible pale. In midsum- 

 mer rather darker ; in early|fall, brighter and more yellowish below, when very young, 

 the wing markings more fulvous, the general plumage slightly bnffy-suffused. Length 

 5S-6i ; wing 2J-3 (rarely 3J) ; tail 2^2f ; bill nearly or quite ^, about J wide at the nos- 

 trils ; tarsus f ; middle toe and claw i ; point of wing reaching nearly an inch beyond 

 the secondaries ; 2d, 3d and 4th quills nearly equal and much (J inch or more) longer 

 than Ist and 5th, which about equal each other. 



" First plumage. Above nearly pure olive, with indistinct narrow transverse bands of 

 darker. Wing-bands pale reddish-brown. Under parts soiled yellowish- white, with an 

 olivaceous cast on the sides and breast. Prom a specimen in my collection shot by Dr. 

 J. M. Wheaton, at Columbus, Ohio, June, 1876" [July, 1875.] (Brewster, 1. c.) 



Habitat, Eastern United States ; rarely north into New England and no authentic re- 

 cord beyond Massachusetts. Canada West. West to the Mississppi and slightly beyond. 

 Cuba. ' 



Abundant summer resident from May to September. Breeds. Fre- 

 quents woodland, and is seldom seen far from its breeding spot except 

 when migrating, when it is a frequent visitor in the gardens of this city, 

 often remaining several days. The favorite retreats of this bird are 

 beech woods of considerable extent. Here they are found perched on the 

 lower branches of trees, or higher up on the border of a glade. Dark woods 

 are preferred to high, open, mixed woodland. In such localities they 

 form a striking feature in the bird-fauna. Their ordinary note is a sharp, 

 quick, loud and emphatic what-d'ye-see, which, coming from an unseen and 

 perhaps unsuspected performer, is really startling in the stillness. Fre- 

 quently the bird utters a low rapid twittering note accompanied by a 

 rapid movement of the wings, as if in ecstacy. A similar action is some- 

 times seen in the Wood Pewee, the noise resembling the rustling made 

 by the Woodcock's flight. 



The nest of the Acadian Flycatcher differs in position from all other 

 species of the family breeding with us, in being invariably placed in a hor- 

 izontal fork, usually not more than fifteen feet from the ground. In the 

 manner of its attachment it resembles the nests of the Vireos, being 

 fastened by the brim while the bottom is unsupported. In structure, 

 however, it is very different. It is composed almost entirely of small 

 stems and tops of the grass commonly known here as " roller grass." 

 These are losely thrown together forming a shallow cup bound to the 

 fork with spider's web. When just finished they present a very slovenly 

 appearance, considerable quantities of the grass hanging from the peri- 

 hery of the nest, so that it looks like a tuft of hay, caught by the limb 

 from a load driven under it. If the weather is damp this material soon 

 falls off in the wind and the body of the nest becomes more compact. 

 Frequently the nest is so thin that the eggs may be counted from 

 below. 



