The IIawkeve Ornithologist and Ooi.ogist. 



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Fur the Hawkeijc 0. and 0. 



CANADIAN FLYCATCHERS. 



BT WM. L. KELLS, LISTOWKL, ONTARIO. 



THE CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 

 (Myiarelins Crinitus.) 



This species receives its name from 

 the remarkable crest that adorns the 

 back part of the head. It is between 

 seven and eight inches in length. The 

 plumage on the upper parts is a 

 greyish-olive hue; the throat and fore 

 breast, dark ash. the lower parts yel- 

 low. It arrives in central Ontario in 

 the early days of May. and makes its 

 advent known by loud warning 

 notes, as if announcing to the woods 

 and fields, and all animated existences 

 therein, that it was time to"wake up, 

 for the coming of summer is nigh." 

 It dues not appear to be abundant in 

 any part of this province, though 

 sometimes the rural ornithologist 

 notes its call on the margin of high, 

 hardwood lands, and again in the 

 depths of the swam py woods its notes 

 direct him to its perch on the top of 

 some monarch of the forest; and 

 again he may observe a pair sportive- 

 ly chasing each other among the 

 trees of an orchard. 



It appears also to have a partiality 

 for the vicinity of small lakes, and 

 the rolling margins of rivers, and 

 near such places its loud call sudden- 

 ly uttered, often startles the wander- 

 er in the woods, who would not other- 

 wise be aware of its existence. It 

 feeds largely on the various species 

 of insects that make the woods their 

 home; many of these being captured 

 on the wing with the grace and dis- 

 patch peculiar to its family. In dis- 

 position it sometimes manifests some 

 of those irritable propensities which 

 are characteristic of its relative, the 



kingbird; and when the female is 

 nesting she is occasionally subjected 

 to treatment, like the female bobolink 

 for which there appears no reason, 

 except the bad temper of her partner. 

 This species makes its nest in the hol- 

 lows of trees, or in woodpecker's holes 

 and in the older settled parts of the 

 country, the boxes put up for mar- 

 tins and blue-birds are sometimes 

 occupied. The nest is composed of 

 wood, strips of bark, fine dry grass 

 and hair, and sometimes in it are 

 found the cast off skins of snakes. 

 The set of eggs numbers from four to 

 six; thej r are of a buffy white color, 

 marked all over the surface with 

 purplish brown lines. 



THE PHCEBK FLYCATCHER. 



(Sciyoniis Phcebe.) 



This is the commonest and best 

 known of the flycatcher family found 

 in Canada, and is among the earliest 

 of our returning spring birds. In the 

 early morning, while the air is still 

 cold and patches of snow still linger- 

 ing in the woods, and around the 

 fences, and while but few others of 

 our feathered visitants have returned 

 from their tropical exile, perched on 

 the top of some building, on a fence 

 post, or on the leafless branch of 

 some tree; the pleasant and familiar 

 "phoebe" of this little wanderer may 

 be heard greeting the new born day 

 and returning spring, to the delight 

 of the rural Canadian and the ob- 

 servant student of nature. Its simple 

 notes seem always pleasing, not for 

 their variety or melody, but rather 

 for their pleasing ideas of renewed 

 life and animation with which they 

 are associated; and the confiding 

 nature which the performer itself 

 evinces. 



This species remains in Ontario for 

 about five months in each year, and 

 during that period it may be found 

 ranging the outskirts of the woods, 

 the vicinity of farm buildings, and 



