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23. Empidonax virescens. Acadian Flycatcher. — The published 
records all refer to the Alder Flycatcher, but I took what I believe was 
this species once at Toronto, but the specimen was lost by the taxidermist 
who skinned it. 
0 7 ? tocrf o . 
The Acadian Flycatcher in Ontario. — The discovery of this bird ( Em- 
pidonax virescens ) in Ontario has long been expected by bird students 
and reports have at times been made of its occurrence only to be dis- 
proved when investigated. It is therefore perhaps a little strange that it 
should turn out to be probably a not uncommon resident of certain parts 
of the western peninsula of Ontario. 
About fifty miles southeast of Detroit and only a few miles from Lake 
Erie there was formerly an immense black ash swamp, portions of which 
are still in existence, and it was in these, where the mosquitoes were of 
sufficient quantity to feed a large number of Flycatchers, that I found the 
Acadians on June 8 and 9 of this year. There was an undergrowth of 
saplings in the swamps and the birds apparently spent their time near the 
ground. Their conspicuous note attracted my attention at once and it 
was quite easy to secure specimens for identification. 
I was walking through the country from west to east and as my plans 
included the covering of about fifteen miles a day, I had not much time for 
explorations on the side, but after finding these birds in two places about 
ten miles apart, I am convinced that there must be many other localities 
in that district where they nest. One of the specimens taken was a female 
with an egg almost ready for extrusion. — W. E. Saunders, London, Ont. 
9 
ArOt 20, 0at49Q«,ih t/20. 
Acadian Flycatcher in Ontario. — On writing to my friend Dr. MacCallum 
of Penetanguishene, who lived for many years at Dunnville, regarding my 
capture of the Acadian Flycatcher in southwestern Ontario last June, he 
replied, that he had a nest and set of three eggs, which he had always 
believed belonged to this species. I had seen this nest years ago, but was 
not at that time aware of the marked difference between the nest of this 
species and that of the Alder Flycatcher. Since then I have added nests 
of both of these species to my collection and know how easy it is to dis- 
tinguish between them. I therefore wrote Dr. MacCallum, asking for 
the privilege of inspecting this nest and set. The favor was promptly 
granted, and the nest is undoubtedly that of the Acadian Flycatcher as 
the Doctor surmised. “It was taken,” he writes, “from an old thickly 
branched apple tree on June 24, 1884.” The nest is composed of fine 
grasses and rootlets bound together on the outside by what appears to 
be caterpillar web. 
The well known habit of this species of making the nest appear like an 
accidental bunch of drift, by the addition of loose flowers of alder, walnut 
or oak, is varied in this instance by the substitution of a large number of 
bud scales, apparently of beech. The nest is, as usual, shallow, the cavity 
measuring $ of an inch deep, by 1J inches wide, while the external measure- 
ments are 5X2. In every particular this nest corresponds so exactly with 
that of the Acadian Flycatcher, that there cannot be the least doubt of its 
belonging to that species, thereby antedating my discovery of the bird in 
Ontario by 25 years. 
It is, of course, quite within the possibilities, that there are favorable 
locations for this bird scattered along the north shore of Lake Erie, in fact 
it would be surprising if there were not, and as the spread of southern 
species which barely reach the limits of Ontario appears to be strictly 
limited to the vicinity of that lake, it seems altogether likely that this 
bird will be found, eventually, to be a somewhat rare, but quite regular 
inhabitant of the strip of land extending along the north shore of Lake 
Erie. — W. E. Saunders, London, Ont. 
Aak 27, Apr«19i0 {»• i 
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