BIRDS OF NOETHERN CANADA 385 



about two weeks, when the male takes charge of them, the 

 female in the meantime getting ready for a second brood. 

 The eggs are ovate and short ovate in shape, and resemble 

 those of the common phoebe in every respect excepting that 

 they are a trifle larger in size." 



The Ottawa Museum holds but four skins and one set of 

 four eggs found 21st June at Lac des Isles ! Nest of grass, 

 wool, moss, hair, bark and other soft material placed under 

 a projecting bank of a creek, two and one-half feet from the 

 water. 



467. Least Flyoatchee — Empidonax minimus Baird. 



Examples of this species, which doubtless breeds at Forts 

 Chipewyan, Rae and Resolution, were obtained in the spring 

 of 1880 and afterwards forwarded to Mr. Dalgleish. Two 

 skins and two sets, consisting of seven eggs, taken at Pelican 

 Narrows and Cumberland House, were receipted at Wash- 

 ington, season 1891. 



Bendire states that it does not appear to be rare in the 

 far north, , as there are several breeding records thereof in 

 the TJ. S. National Museum, by Messrs. R. Kennicott and 

 J. Lockhart, from Fort Resolution, Great Slave Lake; by 

 Mr. B. R. Ross, from Fort Simpson, and by Miss Elizabeth 

 Taylor, near Lake Athabasca — all in the Canadian North- 

 West Territory. The eggs vary from three to six in num- 

 ber, usually four, and one is deposited daily. They are 

 short and rounded oval in shape ; the shell is strong and thick 

 for its size, and without lustre. The ground colour is pale 

 creamy white and they are unspotted. The cow bird (Molo- 

 thrus ater) imposes its eggs on several of our smaller fly- 

 catchers, including occasionally the one now under con- 

 sideration. 



There are eight skins, and five sets of eggs with four 

 eggs each, and two with three, — all taken in the first ten days 

 of June, 1897, at Edmonton, by Mr. W. Spreadborough. 



