ORNITHOLOGIST 
— AND — 
OOLOGIST. 
$1.00 per 
Annum. 
PUBLISHED BY THE FRANK BLAKE WEBSTER COMPANY. 
ESTABLISHED MARCH, 1875. 
Single Copy 
xo cents. 
Vol. XVII. 
HYDE PARK, MASS., NOVEMBER, 1892. 
No. 11. 
Nest of the Yellow-bellied Fly- 
catcher. 
One of the most interesting nests and 
set of eggs that I discovered, and added to 
my collection, in the season of 1892, was 
that of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Em- 
pidonax Fleviventris ) . 
On the 14th of June I was doing some 
wovk on a piece of new fallow, on the 
northeast corner of Wildwood adjoining a 
swamp composed chiefly of balsam, cedar 
and black ash timber, when, as my team 
was resting, I thought I would take 
another look at the nesting site of the 
Sharp-shinned Hawk from which on the 
25th of May I had taken a most beautiful 
set of eggs ; and also at the small turned- 
root of a balsam, in a cavity of which 
some swamp frequenting bird had nested 
the previous year, as I have observed that 
when an old nest is removed, the same or 
some other species often reoccupy the 
same premises. 
Now I found that the cavity in the root 
had not been occupied, and as the day 
was hot, I was stooping down to take 
some of the cool water from the small 
pool below, when a small bird flew out 
past my face and disappeared in the sur- 
rounding underwood. In a moment I 
saw the nest from which the bird had 
glided, and from its composition, and the 
color of the four fresh eggs that it con- 
tained, I at once inferred that it was new 
to me ; but supposed that it was that of 
some rare warbler, whose identity I was 
then desirous to discover, so I sat down 
near by to await the bird’s return. 
For several minutes no bird either ap- 
proached the nest or gave a note near by. 
Then the mournful refrain of a little bird, 
which I took to be a species of Flycatcher, 
sounded among the balsam tops, a little 
distance off, and on discovering the actor 
itself, I for awhile watched its movements 
as in true Flycatcher style it darted to and 
fro after insects, at the same time giving 
vent to its to-weep-Yike. lament. But not 
being certain that this was the owner of 
the nest, I left the place, and in less than 
an hour afterwards returned and found 
the bird seated on the nest, where she re- 
mained till I was within a few feet of her, 
when she again flew off and I fully identi- 
fied her as the female Yellow-bellied Fly- 
catcher. 
The nest was placed in a kind of cavity 
made in the soft mould in a corner of the 
“turn-up,” and about two feet above the 
small hollow below. It was formed al- 
most wholly of moss, lined with fine dry 
grass and a few pieces of vines. The four 
fresh eggs were white, with a yellowish 
tinge, and all more or less spotted with 
orange-brown. The spotting is nearly al- 
together on the large end, some being 
much more spotted than others ; one or 
two have the end nearly covered, others are 
ringed, and there are but a few small dots 
towards the centre. Inside the nest is 
about two inches across by one in depth. 
This species has been but rarely noticed 
in Canada. In its general appearance it 
/6C 
Copyright, 1892, by Frank Blake Webster Company. 
