222 



North American Birds Eggs. 



464. Western Flycatcher. Empidonax difficilis. 



Range. — Western North America, from the Rocky Mountain region to the 

 Pacific, and north to Alaslsia; winters chiefly south of tlie United States. 



Tliis Flj'catcher, which is simiiar to tlie fast, nests in similar lo- 

 cations as well as in many others, such as crevices and fissures 

 i^K^; in rocks, holes in banks, cavities in trees, rafters in buildings, 



^^PiSfe*-- etc. The nests are variously made, but consist chiefly of fine 

 '*«e grasses, weeds and fibres. The eggs are as a rule similar to those 



[Creamy white] of the last species and cannot be distinguished. 



464.1. St. Lucas Flycatcher. EinpidoDax rineritius. 



Range. — Lower California. 



This species is similar to, but duller in plumage than the Western Flycatcher. 

 Their nesting habits do not probably vary from those of the latter. 



464.2. Santa Barbara Flycatcher. Empidonax insiiJicola. 



Range.— Santa Barbara Islands, California. 



This species is very similar to difficilis, but is said to be darker and browner. 

 Its eggs cannot be distinguisned from those of the preceding. 



465. Green-crested Flycatcher; Acadian Flycatcher. Empidonax virescens. 



Range. — Eastern United States, breeding from the Gulf to southern New Eng- 

 land, and in the Mississippi Valley to Manitoba. 



This species is very pale below and greenish yellow on the 

 back. They are among the latest of the migrants to reach our 

 borders and arrive in the Middle States about the latter part of 

 May, when the5r are quite common. They build semi-pensile 

 nests in the forks of bushes or overhanging branches at heights 

 of from four to twenty feet, the nests being made of rootlets, 

 fibres, fine grassss, etc., and partially suspended from the 

 branch; they are quite shallow and loosely constructed and often appear more 

 like a bunch of debris deposited in the fork by the wind than like the creation 

 of a bird. Their three or four eggs are Ijuffy, spotted or specked with brown; 

 size .75 X .55. 



[Buffy 



466. Traill Flycatcher. Empidonax traHlii. 



Range.— Western Xorth America, from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific; 

 winters south of the United States. 



- This species is very similar to the next, but the back is said 



j^: to be more brownish. They are common and nest abundantly 



^a j i" thickets and low scrubby woods, usually placing the nest 



■Bl^^ ^ at a low elevation, preferably in a clump of willows; the nests 



^^KmOa^r are made of fine strips of bark, plant fibres, and very fineroot- 



^^^^ lets being woven about and firmly fastened in upright crotches. 



[Creamy white.] Their eggs, which are laid in June, are buffy white, specked 



and spotted, chiefly at thedarge end, with brownish; size .70 x.54. 



