Birds oj? Indiana. 869 



the nest from below. It usually begins its return in August, but 

 sometimes is seen after the middle of September. The following give 

 last records of its occurrence: Plymouth, Mich., August 29, 1894; 

 Chicago, September 32, 1895; Lafayette, September 12, 1895, Septem- 

 ber 16, 1894; Sedan, August 28, 1892, September 3, 1889. Mr. V. H. 

 Bamett shot young that could not fly well in Warren County, Septem- 

 ber 25, 1897. Maj. Bendire gives its call as wick-up, or hicTc-up, in- 

 terspersed now and then with a sharp queep-queep or chier-queep, the 

 first sj'llable quickly uttered. This is one of our very beneficial birds. 

 Its food is chiefiy insects. Dr. B. H. Warren examined the stomachs 

 of 7; 2 contained beetles; 1, beetles and flies; 1, large flies and larvae; 

 2, various insects; 1, berries (Birds of Penn., 2nd ed., p. 196). 



*179. (466). Empidonax traiUii (Aud.). 



Traill's Flyoatclier. 



Synonym, Little Flycatcher. 



Adult. — ^Above, brownish-olive, or olive-gray, darker on the head; 

 wings and tail, dark brown, the former with two bands, varying from 

 whitish to dark huffy; secondaries, edged with same; white or yellow- 

 ish-white ring around the eye. Beneath, white, the sides of breast, 

 and sometimes across the breast, shaded with the color of the back, 

 or grayish; sides, throat and crissum, pale, tinged with sulphur-yellow; 

 bill, above, brownish-black; below, white or yellowish. Immature. — 

 Wing bands, ochraceous. 



Length, 5.60-6.50; wing, 2.55-2.85; tail, 2.20-2.60; bill, .64-.73 tar- 

 sus, .65-.72. 



Eange. — North America, from Mexico to Manitoba; Mackenzie 

 Eiver Valley, and Alaska. East to Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan 

 and Indiana. Breeds from Texas and California northward. Win- 

 ters south of United States. 



Nest, in open woods, and second-growth thickets, preferably near 

 water courses; in upright fork of bush, 18 inches to 8 feet up; of grass, 

 vegetable fibres, cobwebs and leaves; lined with fine grass, horsehair 

 and plant down. Eggs, 3-4; creamy-white, variously marked with 

 minute dots, spots, or large blotches, with varying shades of red, red- 

 dish-brown; and sometimes lavender, principally at large end; .77 by 

 .56, .70 by .52; average, .74 by .54. 



Summer resident, generally distributed, and locally common. 

 Breeds. In the Whitewater Valley it has never been found common. It 

 has been found breeding in Laporte (Barber) and Tippecanoe coun- 

 ties (Test Bros.), and is thought to nest in Lake and Dekalb counties. 



