ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 425 



south as Long Island. It is a common summer resident of Maine 

 and of the northern part of Vermont and New Hampshire, and 

 is not uncommon on the Berkshire hills in Massachusetts. It is 

 common in New Brunswicic. West of this region it breeds farther 

 to the southward, being common in the middle of Ohio and in 

 southern Illinois and Missouri. Mr. Mcllwraith considers it un- 

 common in Ontario, and Mr. Thompson reports it common in 

 Manitoba. It winters in Central America. 



There has been considerable discussion over the breeding habits 

 of this species, caused by the difference in habits of the Western 

 birds from those which breed near the Atlantic. Here the favorite 

 site is a clump of alders near a running stream, and the nest is 

 placed within a foot or two of the ground ; while in the West a 

 small tree is generally selected, — sometimes an oak, — and the 

 nest is placed as high as ten feet. The nest, in the West, is not so 

 compactly or neatly made, and the materials are coarser. The note 

 of this bird — for while the Flycatchers are not classed with tlie 

 Oscines, or Singing-Birds, they add not a little to our forest melo- 

 dies — is peculiar, though strictly of the family type. It sounds 

 something like ke-wink delivered with a rising inflection and the 

 accent on the final sound, which is prolonged, — quite a different 

 note from the abrupt chebec of minimus. I have never heard the 

 song uttered on the wing ; but when the bird is perching, the head 

 is tossed back, and the note is flung out with a decided emphasis 

 of manner as well as of voice. 



ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 



Empidonax virescens. 



Char. Upper parts olive, slightly darker on crown; under parts 

 whitish, the sides tinged with pale olive, which reaches almost across the 

 breast ; belly tinged with pale yellow ; wings and tail dusky ; wing-bars 

 buffy. Length 5^ to 6 inches. 



Nest. In a tree, suspended on fork of twigs at the extremity of a low 

 limb; rather loosely made of moss or grasses and shreds of bark bound 

 with spider's webbing. 



Eggs. 2-4; buff or creamy white, spotted, chiefly about the larger 

 end, with reddish brown; 0.75 X 0.55. 



The older writers had rather confused ideas regarding these 

 small Flycatchers, and Nuttall supposed he was writing of the 

 present species, when the bird he had in mind was minimus. 



