BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



149 



GENUS MYIARCHTJS. CABANIS. 



452. Myiarchus crinitus (LiNN.). 



Crested Flycatcher. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, about 8 inches ; extent, about 13$ inches ; head with a depressed crest; 

 upper parts dull greenish-olive, with the feathers of the crown, and to some extent 

 of the back, showing their brown centres ; upper tail coverts turning to pale rusty- 

 brown ; small feathers at the base of the bill, sides of the head as high as the upper 

 eyelid, sides of the neck, throat, and forepart of the breast, bluish-ashy ; the rest of 

 the lower parts, including axillaries and lower wing coverts, bright sulphur-yellow ; 

 a pale ring round the eyes : sides of the breast and body tinged with olivaceous ; the 

 the wings brown, the first and second rows of coverts, with the secondary and tertial 

 quills, margined externally with dull-white, or on the latter slightly tinged with 

 olivaceous-yellow ; primaries margined externally for more than half their length 

 from the base with ferruginous, great portion of the inner webs of all the quills very 

 pale-ferruginous ; the two middle tail feathers light brown, shafts paler, the rest 

 have the outer web and a narrow line on the inner sides of the shaft brown, pale 

 olivaceous on the outer edge, the remainder ferruginous to the very tip ; outer web 

 of exterior feather dull brownish-yellow ; feet black ; bill dark-brown above and at 

 the tip below, paler towards the base ; iris brown. 



Hab. Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the Plains, south 

 through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica. 



The Crested Flycatcher, although probably not as abundant as the 

 preceding species, is a common summer resident in Pennsylvania. I 

 have seen these birds in the southern portions of this State as early 

 as the 23d of April, usually, however, they arrive about the first of 

 May. and remain until late in September, when they migrate south- 

 ward and winter it is stated beyond the southern borders of the United 

 States. Although this species sometimes nests in orchards and other 

 places near houses, it is chiefly found in wooded districts. Unlike all 

 other of our Flycatchers, these birds build their nests in holes of trees, 

 and occasionally in hollow fence rails or posts. I have examined nine 

 nests of the Crested Flycatcher, which were found in Chester county, 

 and in six of this number discovered the remains of cast off skins of 



