Wayne: Birds op South Carolina. 103 



moss, covered externally with lichens. The eggs are of a creamy 

 buff color, with a wreath of reddish brown, lilac, and umber 

 markings near the larger end. They measure .70X.54. 



This species frequents certain spots in the woods, where 

 it perches upon dead limbs to make sallies after passing insects. 

 I have never known it to feed upon berries as other members of 

 the family do, and its food appears to be exclusively insects. 



The Wood Pewee breeds from Florida to Prince Edward Is- 

 land and winters as far south as Ecuador and Peru. 



179. Empidonax virescens (Vieill.). Green-crested Fly- 

 catcher; Acadian Flycatcher. 



Although Audubon states in Birds of America, 1 that this spe- 

 cies "is not abundant, even in South Carolina, in the maritime 

 parts of which it occasionally breeds," he was certainly in error 

 as the Acadian Flycatcher breeds abundantly in the great swamps 

 which lie along the entire coast. My earliest spring record is 

 April 7, and a few birds remain until September 22. This spe- 

 cies is essentially a swamp-lover, where its notes, which resem- 

 ble the words "wicky-up," are to be heard from early in April 

 until August. Its nest is invariably built in the forks of a dog- 

 wood tree (Cornus florida), about fifteen feet from the ground, 

 and is composed entirely of the black fibre of the Spanish moss 

 (Tillandsia usneoides). When the birds are building nests or 

 incubating their eggs they are always extremely shy, and leave 

 the nest long before a person has approached within twenty-five 

 yards of its location. 



Some birds breed earlier than others, and the eggs, which num- 

 ber two or three, are laid between May 15 and 27. They are 

 creamy buff, speckled and spotted with rusty brown around the 

 larger end, and measure .75X.55. 



The Green-crested Flycatcher winters in Central America, and 

 breeds from Florida to Massachusetts. 



180. Empidonax traillii alnorum Brewst. Alder Flycatcher. 



It is only in recent years that I have detected this form in 

 South Carolina. I took my first specimen on September 6, 1900, in 

 a dense jungle where innumerable alders grew. Since then I have 

 found this subspecies to be a regular transient visitant in late 



n, 22i. 



