38 TYRANNID^ : FLYCATCHERS. 



" upright fork " in this case does not necessarily mean 

 an upright branch, for the limb itself may be horizontal, 

 or even drooping ; when the nest will be found fastened 

 to twigs which spring up and form a perfect crotch. 

 Several nests, sent from Missouri by Mr. Widmann to 

 Dr. Coues, are thus described by the latter: "The 

 situation, materials, and whole style of architecture 

 of these three nests are different from those of acadicus, 

 and are identical with those of E. minimus (eggs of 

 which latter are pure white, unmarked). They are 

 built in each case on a stouter bough, in the upright 

 crotch formed by two or several twigs springing up from 

 the main stem ; very compact, thick-walled and deeply- 

 cupped structures, let firmly down into the crotch, — the 

 twigs either grooving the walls, as in one instance, or 

 embedded into the substance of the nest, as in the other 

 two cases. The outside diameter is nearly or about 

 three inches, while the depth in one case is quite as 

 much, but in the other two about half an inch less. 

 The cavity is scarcely or about two inches, with a depth 

 of fully one and a half inches, so deeply cupped are these 

 structures. These nests are stoutly built of slender 

 grasses, rootlets, and a variety of bleached vegetable 

 substances disintegrated beyond recognition. Two are 

 lined with very fine grass-stems or rootlets ; a third, 

 with these and horse-hairs ; one has some bits of twine 

 worked into the walls, and in another some large feathers, 

 apparently from the poultry-yard, have been similarly 

 used." These nests were taken from an oak, an elm, 

 and an ailanthus, at heights from six to eight feet, on 

 June 14, 17 and 21 ; one contained three, another four 

 eggs (Bull. Nutt. Club, v, 1880, p. 24). On the subject of 

 these irailli nests from Missouri, Mr. Allen writes to Dr. 



