NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 301 



-very sparsely marked, except at the larger end, where they form a wreath of specks 

 and spots of brownish purple and lavender. This is a typical set In a series. The 

 sizes are as follows: .98x.67, 1.02x.68, .96x.66, .96xM, .99x.68. 



451. STJLPHTJE-BELLIED rLYCATCHBE.. Myiodnastes luteirentris Scl. 

 <Jeog. Dlst. — Southern Arizona, south to Panama. 



In 1874 Mr. W. H. Henshaw added this handsome Flycatcher to the avifauna 

 lOf North America. He found it to be a summer resident in the Chiricahua Moun- 

 tains of Southern Arizona, where he secured a pair of old birds, with three young, 

 August 24. The birds frequent streams bordered with large trees, seeming always to 

 prefer sycamores, and they are seldom seen more than 50 yards from a stream. They 

 , nest in the knot holes of trees or any suitable tree cavity, the nest being simply con- 

 structed of small twigs, stems of leaves, etc. A set of three well incubated eggs was 

 taken August 15, 1894, in Ramsay's Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. The 

 ground color is a rich creamy buff, profusely blotched and lighter shades of lavender. 

 The markings, according to the late Major Bendire, do not resemble the streaky 

 pattern found in the eggs of the genus Myiarchus. They measure 1.07X.75, 1.04x.74 

 and .97X.73 inches. 



452. CRESTED ELYCATCHEE. Myiarchus crinitvs (Linn.) Geog. Dlst.— 

 Eastern United States, west to the Plains, north to Southern Canada, south in winter 

 through Eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. 



The Great-crested Flycatcher is an abundant bird in the woodlands of Eastern 

 United States as far north as Massachusetts. Mr. Thomas McUwraith states that it 

 is a regular summer resident along the southern frontier of Ontario, Canada, arriv- 

 ing early in May. During the summer months the loud, harsh cries of this species 

 are familiar sounds in the woods, which, when once known, are easily recognized. 

 The Great-crested Flycatcher breeds throughout its United States raiige. It builds 

 in the hollows of trees, post-holes, and, even Bluebird and Martin boxes are some- 

 times occupied. The nest is made of slender twigs_, grasses, fine stems and rootlets 

 and cast-oft snake skins are invariably found among the materials. The eggs are 

 remarkable for their coloration, having a ground of buffy-brown, streaked longitudin- 

 ally by lines sharp and scratchy in style, and markings of purple and darker brown; 

 four to six in number; average size, .82x.62. The smallest egg selected from one 

 hundred specimens measures .76x.62; the largest .93x.70. The eggs are so peculiar 

 in their style of markings that they may be easily identified, and all the eggs of the 

 North American species of the genus myiarchus are alike in character. 



453. MEXICAN CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Myiarchus mexicanus (Kaup.) 

 Creog. Bist. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, southward to Guatemala. 



The Mexican Crested Flycatcher was found by Dr. Merrill breeding in consider- 

 able numbers on the Lower Rio Grande in Texas. In its notes and habits it ap- 

 pears to closely resemble M. crinitus. With one exception, no snake ^skins were used 

 in the construction of any of the nests. They were composed of felted locks of wool 

 and hairs, and were placed not far from the ground in old woodpeckers' holes or in 

 natural cavities of decayed trees or stumps. Thirty-two eggs have an average size 

 of .93X.66, the extremes being 1.03x.73 and .82x.65. The eggs are similar to those of 

 M. crinitus, except that they have a paler ground color and the markings are not so 

 ieavy. 



