Nest and Eggs of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax 
flaviventris). — The breeding habits of this bird seem now so well estab- 
lished, that a description of a nest taken by myself this year can hardly be 
necessary to add strength to the five instances already mentioned in this 
Bulletin ; however, it may otherwise be of interest. 
The nest was taken June 13, 1880, on Little Deer Island, Penobscot 
Bay, Maine. The parent bird was flushed from the nest, and flew on to a 
twig near by. Observing the bird to be a Flycatcher, a search was at 
once begun in the small trees about, and I was somewhat surprised, when 
this proved fruitless, to find at my feet the nest with its four eggs. The 
bird was allowed to return to the nest, and on being flushed a second timb 
was secured. It was the female. The locality was in a small clearing on 
a heavily wooded ridge. The nest was situated on a large root, forming 
as it were a shelf, in under a low stump, being admirably concealed from 
sight. It is a mass of dead leaves, pieces of decayed wood, evergreens, 
ferns, birch-bark, and mosses, arranged much in form and appearance like 
that of the Pewee (S. fuscus). The nest proper, which measures two and 
one eighth inches in diameter, and one inch in depth, is lined first with 
fine black roots, then with a few withered grasses. The eggs are similar 
to those already described in the Bulletin, the ground color being white, 
with numerous reddish spots over the whole surface forming a ring about 
the greater end. Two, however, are very sparingly spotted when com- 
pared with the others. Their size is a little less than that given by Mr. 
Batchelder, (Yol. IY, pp. 241, 242,) as the following dimensions show : 
.65 X .51, .65 X -50, .65 X .50, .64 X .51. — N. A. Eddy, Bangor, Me. 
Bull, N.O.C. 5,Oct.,lBCQ,s. ^y/. 
Nesting of the Yellow-bellied Fly- 
catcher. 
BY FREDERICK B. SPAULDING,' LANCASTER, N. H. 
In describing the yellow-bellied Flycatcher, 
{Empidonax flaviventris) in N. E. Bird Life , Dr. 
Coues says, “Thus far it is only known to breed 
in Maine.” I wish to record it as breeding in 
New Hampshire also. While collecting on 
June 14th, 1886, I found a nest of this species 
containing five fresh eggs. The nest was sunk 
about four inches in the side of a green mossy 
knoll, near a low, swampy piece of woods, in 
Lancaster. 
The nest was composed of soft green moss 
and dry grass and was lined with line dry grass 
and very fine rootlets. It was quite bulky but 
very loosely constructed, and fell apart as soon 
as removed from the cavity, although by care- 
ful handling I managed to save about half of it. 
The eggs are beautiful, especially to the eyes 
of an oiilogist. They are delicate creamy 
white, three of them marked with quite large 
blotches of reddish-brown about the larger 
end, while the other two are marked with 
minute spots of the same color also about the 
larger end. The eggs closely resemble those 
of E. trailii , but are a trifle smaller, and rather 
less pointed in shape. 
I am positive about the identity, for I caught 
tile bird on the nest, and identified it by means 
of Coue’s Key , with whose description it exact- 
ly coincided. Its note was a soft “pea” fre- 
■rie«'iwMxu s .i 887 p. ns -Hi 
Notes- Birds of GrandManan, 
Ghas.H. Andros. 
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, {Empidonax flavi- 
ventris). We had but little experience with 
this shy denizen of the swampy and sparsely 
timbered sections. Although not rare they are 
seldom met with, being especially retiring at 
the time of our visit. We did not meet with 
them above Nantucket; Boss and the lower 
maine island offer more attraction for their nid- 
ification. The nest is placed upon the ground, 
preferably cupped into some mossy mound or 
securely hidden away in the undergrowth. 
-The eggs ar & t^o jel^Jyogn to^ any de- 
scnption here. • 
/oS 
