376 BIRDS — TYKANNID^. 



Kirtland (1. c.,) and Mr. Kirkpatrick subsequently mentions that lie 

 found it on the banks of the Rocky River near Cleveland. Mr. Langdon 

 gives it as a rare migrant in the vicinity of Cincinnati. In this vicinity 

 it arrives about the end of the first week in May, passing northw'ard 

 along the margins of streams. It is rather shyer and more restl'ess than 

 others of the genus. Its presence is usually made known by a character- 

 istic whit-te-ar, which is frequently repeated as the bird flits from bush 

 to bush or across a narrow stream. 



It was not known to breed in the state until its nest was discovered by 

 me, June 5, 1874. This nest was placed in an elder bush beside a ditch, 

 in Thomas' swamp on the west side of the Olentangy river, near this city. 

 It contained four eggs. A few days afterwards, while in company with 

 my friend, C. J. Orton, we discovered a nest without eggs in a wild plum 

 thicket a short distance from the east bank of the same stream, near 

 North Columbus. The next season numerous nests were found in low 

 wet grounds, formed by an excavation along the Little Miami Railroad 

 between the city and Insane asylum. This locality which was nearly 

 a mile long by not more than fifty yards wide, proved to be a favorite re- 

 sort for these birds for three or four years, and I have found as many as 

 half a dozen nests in a couple of hours search. Here their nests were 

 usually found in willows from two to eight feet from the ground. One 

 or two nests were taken in grape vines, and one in a small tree of 

 Enonymus atropurpurea, several in elder bushes. Those built in the acute 

 forks of willows were less neat than those in the broader forks of other 

 bushes, but all agreed in general character, and were widely different 

 from nests of the same birds taken in Northern New England, as also are 

 the eggs. 



Mr. Henshaw (1. c.) describes the nests and eggs of this and the pre- 

 ceeding species, giving for the first ti;ae, a correct description of their 

 differences as found here. A portion of his article is here inserted : 



" I shall briefly describe a nest of Traillii, one of a series of five, kindly presented by 

 Dr. Wheaton, and taken near Columbus, Ohio. 



"It may be fairly compared with the usual structure of the Summer Yellow Warbler 

 {Dendrceca cestiva), so well known to every one, but lacks something of the compactness 

 and neatness shown by this species in its method of weaving together the materials that 

 make up its home. Hempen fibres compose the exterior, or the bulk of the nest, while 

 internally it is lined in true Flycatcher style with fine grasses, and a slight admixture 

 of down from thistles ; the main point of all, however, is its position with regard to the 

 branches. It is built into an wpnght fork, the small twigs that surround it being made 

 available to secure it more firmly in its place by being encircled with the stringy fibres. 

 In this particular of position correspond all of the nests of this bird I have seen, as well 

 as those otpusilVm in the west. 



" Taking no w a nest of E. acadious, and placing it beside the others, a very striking dif- 



