No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. IO5 



Empidonax minimus (W. M. and S. F. Baird). Least Fly- 

 catcher. 



A common summer resident of the orchards and shade trees 

 of the state from early May to August. 



Earliest record. New Haven, April 27, 1885 ; Portland, April 

 21, 1880; Hadlyme, April 26, 1899;^ Hartford, April 27, 1902.^ 



Latest record. New Haven, Sept. 10, 1883, Oct. i, 1907 (A. 



A. S.); Portland, Sept. 4, 1893; Litchfield, Oct. i, 1890 (L. 



B. W.). 



Nest. Of the 25 nests recorded in the last 5 years by J. H. S., 

 7 were in elms, 6 in willows, 6 in ash trees, 3 in wild cherries, and 

 3 in poplars; height from ground, 15-30 feet, except one at 5 

 feet and another at 40 feet ; location, commonly an open swampy 

 place, occasionally in thick growth. Building, May 15 — June 8. 



Eggs. 3-5 ; early in June. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. May 23, 1906, two eggs 

 (same nest, four eggs. May 26) (J. H. S.). Latest record. 

 June 27, 1888, five eggs (E. H. E.). 



Suborder OSCINES. Song Birds. 

 Family ALAUDID^. Larks. 



Otocoris alpestris alpestris (Linnaeus). Horned Lark. 



An irregular winter visitor from November to March; most 

 common in small flocks along the coast. 



Earliest record. New Haven, Nov. 2, 1906, Oct. 29, 1888 

 (L. B. W.). 



Latest record. New Haven, April 15, 1882. 



Inland records. March 22, 1875, Portland, two killed (one 

 in coll. of C. H. N.) ; Dec. 3, 1889, East Hartford, two seen 

 (W. E. T.) ; March 25, 1890, Portland, flock of thirteen seen 

 (C. H. N.) ; March 27, 1899, about thirty seen, March 30, 1899, 

 about twelve seen, Portland (S. R., one in coll. of J. H. S.) ; 

 Oct. 27, 1903, Nov. 14, 1904, Litchfield, small flocks seen 

 (E. S. W.). 



A bird in which one tarsus had been broken and the foot had 

 become fastened in the feathers of the abdomen was taken by 

 L. B. B. in Guilford, Feb. 11, 1898. 



^Bird-Lore, x, 3, p. 117. 



