MYIARCHUS CRINITUS : CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 21 



common summer resident. An extension of the bird's 

 range of late years has been observed by Mr. Merriam, 

 who, referring to some remarks by Mr. T. M. Trippe on 

 the irregular migrations of birds (Am. Nat, vii, 1873, 

 p. 390), records a parallel case, in the instance of this 

 very species occurring in Lewis County, northern New ■ 

 Y'ork. "There, prior to the year 1870, they were un- 

 known, at least so far as I can ascertain, and it is safe 

 to say that they were extremely rare. In 1870, my 

 cousin, Mr. C. L. Bagg, shot one specimen, the first we 

 had ever seen. During the next season I shot a pair. 

 I was away from home in 1872, but Mr. Bagg informs 

 me that he took several Great Crested Flycatchers that 

 year, and that they were quite common. In August, 

 1873, I shot eight in about an hour's time, and since 

 then they have been one of our commonest species, 

 breeding abundantly in the tall maple and birch forests, 

 where their characteristic, but rather harsh cry, may be 

 heard at any hour of the day throughout the entire 

 season." (B. Conn., 1877, p. 51.) 



While it is scarcely needful to multiply citations in the 

 case of so generally if irregularly distributed a species, 

 the reader may be referred to the results of Mr. H. A. 

 Purdie's observations, in Am. Nat., vii, 1873, p. 692 ; and 

 Bull. Nutt. Club, i, 1876, p. 73; ii, 1877, p. 16; as well 

 as to those of Mr. R. T. Morris, in Forest and Stream 

 of May 14, 1874, p. 213; of Mr. F. W. Hall, in the same 

 paper, of Dec. 3, 1874, p. 261; and of "G. G. H. Jr.," 

 also in the same paper, Aug. 23, 1877, p. 44. 



Comparatively few persons are familiar with the habits 

 of this bird, as it is not one which courts the society of 

 man, but prefers to keep aloof in the depths of the forest, 

 where it leads a wild, shy, and solitary life. It may be 



