346 THE YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 



Pewee (Empidonax minimus) — sewick, sewick, written by some 

 "chebec," — quickly and sharply uttered. It has been here 

 for two weeks or more. About the color of the common 

 Phcebe {Sayornis fuscus), only a little grayer about the 

 head, and scarcely more than five inches long, it is much 

 smaller than the rest of our Flycatchers; and, not to speak 

 of its peculiar notes, has a nest wholly unlike that of any 

 of them, and eggs which never can be mistaken for those 

 of any other bird in our locality; and yet, numerous as it is 

 throughout the Eastern United States, neither Audubon 

 nor Wilson distinguished it. It is very common here, par- 

 ticularly in thickets, the borders of the low-land forests, 

 and the more open swamps. The nest, generally placed 

 out of reach, sometimes fifteen feet or upward from the 

 ground, commonly in the top fork of a small tree or sap- 

 ling, sometimes on a horizontal limb, is neat and very closely 

 compacted, composed outwardly of wood or bark-fibers, 

 sometimes well intermixed and ornamented with vegetable 

 down, and lined with fine fibers of bark, fine grasses and 

 vegetable down in general, sometimes with fine feathers. 

 The entire nest bears a strong resemblance to that of the 

 Redstart. The eggs, three or four, from .60 or .65X.50, are 

 pure white. "Breeds abundantly from Southern New 

 England northward." (Coues.) Eggs are found here late in 

 May or early in June. 



THE YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 



I have also taken the Yellow-bellied Pewee {Empidonax 

 Jlaviventris), here in Orleans County late in May. As it 

 ranges throughout North America and breeds from the 

 Middle States northward, it probably breeds here. About 

 5. .50 long, and olive-green above, it is readily distin- 

 guishable by its bright yellow under parts. The ring 



