256 E. PLAVIVENTRIS, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 



(Guatemala).— Wheat., Ohio Agric. Eep. 1860, No. 53.— C'oues & PrsENT., 

 Smiths. Rep. Ib61, 404 (migratory, perhaps breeding). — Veeu., Pr. Ess. lust, 

 iii, 146 (Maine, summer).— Allen, ibid, iv, 1864, 55 (MaMsiichusett.s, May and 

 June).- McIlwk., ibid, v, 1866, 84.— CocES, ibid, v, laHS, 2Ho.— LAWR.,"Ann. 

 Lye. N. Y. viii, 1.-63, 6 (Xuw Graoada) ; viii, 1866, 290 ; ix, 1868. 114 (Costa 

 Eica).— ScL. & Salt., P. Z. S. 1-70, 837 (Honduras).— Allen, Meiu. Bost. Soo 

 i, 1868, 518 (Illinois).- TuiiXB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 14 (breeding in New Jersey).— 

 Sdmich., Mem. Boat. Soc. i, 1869, 557 (Vera Crnz).— Mayn., Guide, 1870, 1-26; 

 Pr. Bost. Soc. 1871 (breeding commonly at Erauconia, N. II.). — Coop., B. Cal. i, 

 1870, 3J8.— Snow, B. Kans, 1873, 4.— Cooes, Kev, 1872, 175.— B. B. & E., N. A. B. 

 li, 1874, 378, pi. 44, f. 12. 



Tyrannula minuta, Bp., Consp. i, 1850, 169 (so identifies Muscicapa niinuta, WiLs!). 



(?) " Tyrannula pusilla, Reinh., Vidensk. Meddel. (or 1853 (1854), 82.— Gloger, J. f. 0. 

 1834, 426." — Reinh., Ibis, Jan. 1801, 7. (These citations refer to a specimen 

 taken in Godthaah, Greenland, in 1853). 



Empidonax hypoxanthus, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 198 (in text). 



b. difficilis. 



E'.npldonax difficilis, Be, B. N. A. 1858, 198 (in text) ; pi. 76, f. 2.— Coop. & Suck., N. 



H. Wash. Ter. 1880, 170, and " p. xv, errata."- CoUKS, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 



62 (Arizona).— ScL., Cat. 1862, 230. 

 Empidonax flavirentris var. difficilis, Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 179 (Utah). — Coues, . 



Key, 1872, 176 (in test).— B. B. & R., N. A. B. ii, 1"74, 380. J-ffl-l' 



Bab. — North America, at large. (?) Greenland. South through Mexico and Central $/lQ^ff 

 America to New Granada. Breeds from the Middle States northward. The typical" 7 

 form eastern. Var. di^cHis western. 4^J.y—^ 



In size between average traillii and minimus, this species differs from these and all ( -jt 

 our other Flycatchers by the decided yellowness of the uuder xjarts — a coloration ao/li 

 distinctive that the bird is always recognizable on sight. The Prince Bonaparte iden- 

 tifies it with the long lost " Muscicapa minuta " — the Small-headed Flycatcher of Wil- 

 son, Audubon, and Nuttall — a very questionable reierence. 



This species reaches the Middle States a little later than the three 

 other eastern species of the genus — not ordinarily until the very last of 

 April or first week in Miiy. It is found in high open woods as well as 

 in thickets, thus differing somewhat in the situation it affects from 

 minimus. Dr. Prentiss and 1 have taken it at Washington, at different 

 Times in July, probably indicating that it breeds in the vicinity, as it 

 certainly does a little further north : Br. Turnbull inentious Trenton, 

 New Jersey, as a locality where Dr. Slack found it nesting. According 

 to Mr. Maynard, whose opportunities for observation appear to have 

 Iteeu ample, it breeds abundantly in Xorthern New England. In his 

 excellent Manual of Taxidermy, he remarks : " May 31, 1809, 1 shot the 

 first specimen I had ever seen living; the next day I took eight of both 

 sexes in a few hours. Between this time and the 10th of June I took 

 two or three more;'' this was in Massachusetts. The writer continues: 

 " I do not doubt that it has occurred in itrevious seasons, but, being 

 unaccustomed to its low note — whicAi is like the syllable j)e« very plain- 

 tively prolonged — and its retiring habits, I had not detected it before. 

 The specimens were all taken in low, swamp3' thickets, with the excep- 

 tion of the first, which was shot on a tall oak. It keeps near the ground, 

 is rather shy, and upon the appearance of an intruder instantly ceases 

 its song. ' Shot a specimen on May 25, 1869, in Watertown, Massachu- 

 setts, singing, with its peculiar note, in an apple-tree. I have shot the ]\ 

 female singing in the same manner, in August, 1867, in Franconia, New ii 

 Hampshire. The o))ly note I ever heard was the low j^m (Brewster).'" 

 In his later publication, after speaking of the abundance and breeding | 

 of the bird in Northern New England, Mr. Maynard remarks that in the | 

 dark swamps at Upton he first heard the breeding note; "it was like f 

 the syllables lil-lic, very gravely given, with a long interval between 

 each utterance. ' The song was even less energetic than that of traillii. 

 While singing, the birds were perched on low limbs. Both male and 

 female used this note." ^ygy^y^g^ f^y Microsoft® 



