jOFLY-CATCHING 
(MASSACHUSETTS^ 
Mut / .( ZT 
On the gth of June, 18S4, wlnfdwraTK-' 
ing through a piece of wet woods near 
Arlington Heights, which consisted 
mainly of oak and maple, I flushed a 
small bird from the ground right before 
my feet. It alighted on a bush close by 
and uttered a loud chuck of alarm. I 
saw then that it was a female Canada 
Fly-catching Warbler. Supposing that 
she had sprung from her nest, I shot her 
t° P re ' Nesting of the Canadian Flycatch- 
theToo Warbler ‘ 
the gri 
under t 
around 
eggs wl 
L ' 
Qr~. 
L-tt. I, 
BY WM. L. K ELLS* ONTARIO, CANADA. 
According to my observations, this species 
(. Myiodioctes canadensis') in its general appear- 
ence and habits, much resemble the Small- 
billed Water Thrush ( Slums nccvius ) as does 
also its nest and eggs, except of course, that 
they are smaller in size. In this neigborhood 
far* < 
<suct. 
Jan. 1887.] AND OC. 
I have noticed this species only in one locality, 
and that was bordering on low, swampy, soft, 
wood lands, which seem to be its favorite haunts 
during the period that it remains in this coun- 
try. 
I first noted this bird and discovered its nest 
in tlie early part of June, 1882. The first nest 
seen was on the 6th of that month, and. when 
discovered, the female was engaged in con- 
structing it; and when disturbed made so 
much ado about it that her mate soon ap- 
peared upon the scene and joined in the gen- 
eral scolding. The site chosen was a cavity 
in a low bank, on which grew a small hem- 
lock, near a pool of water on the margin of a 
swamp. 
The same day I found another nest of the 
same species, from which I afterwards took a 
set of five eggs. This was placed in a corner of 
a turned up root, the top of which hung over 
sheltering it from the sun, rain and observation, 
except upon close inspection ; and beneath it 
was a pool of water. (The season before I 
took from this root a set of the eggs of the 
Black Snow bird ( Junco hyemalis) and the next 
summer saw in it a nest of the Winter Wren 
(. Anortliura troglodytes hyemalis) in which a 
brood of young had evidently been raised). 
On tliis nest the female sat until almost 
touched by the hand, but her mate always 
seemed to be near, and his pleasing, but some- 
what plaintive melody seemed, if I mistake not, 
closely to resemble the songnot.es of the White- 
crowned Sparrow ( Zonotrtchia lencophrys). 
I saw no more nests of this species until the 
30th of May, 1S86. On that date my son and 
myself were hunting in a piece of woods in the 
same locality, when a bird Hushed from a small 
space between where we passed and darted into 
some thick underwood, where her mate and 
those of her mates soon gave us to understand 
that their nest was near. A short search re- 
H7 
vealed the nest placed in the cavity of a small 
bank, overhung by weeds and some underwood. 
The nest itself was composed of a few dry 
leaves; small stalks of dry weeds; rootlets and 
fine hair. It contained five beautiful eggs, that 
were but slightly incubated, and are now in my 
collection, but the materials of the nest, how- 
ever, were so loosely put together, that it soon 
fell to pieces upon being removed. The eggs, 
which measure .68 by .52, are of a clear white 
hue, finely marked with dots and small blotch- 
es, especially towards the large end, of brown, 
purple and reddish, ranging in shades and 
tints. 
O.&O. XII. Jan. 1087. p./ 5 -/ 3 . 
