l<‘liY('.\'l‘(‘llHRS. 25l

catcher. is not identifiable. Musci'rupa lraillz‘i was described by Audubon from Arkansas. and Mr. Brewster considers specimens from Arkansas and tho Mis- si'sippi Valley south of latitude 12" as inseparable from those inhabiting the. region westward to the Pacific. to which he. would therefore apply the name Empidonua' truillii. In brief. the form previously known as E. pusi/lus becomes E. truillii. and the. Mississippi Valley birds south of latitude 42", which formerly were considered the same as those from the Atlantic States. are placed with the western rather than the eastern bird. This course leaves the eastern bird with- out, a name. and )Ir. Brewster proposes to call it Empidomu‘ truillii alnurum .‘ Alder Flycatcher.

Western specimens arerage somewhat browner than eastern ones. and have slightly larger bills. but. in my opinion. the differences are too slight to warrant their continued separation. and I would apply the name truillii to both.

467. Empidonax minimus 1min]. LEAST FI.\'('.\T(‘HHI{; (,‘nicmut. rid—Upper parts lJctWUL‘ll olive—green and olive or olive-brown: wings and tail fuseous; greater and lesser “'lll'Lf‘CUVL‘Tlh' tinged with ashy whitc; under parts whitish, washed with dusky grayish on the breast and sides and gen- erally with a slight tinge of yellowish oil the bully; lower mandible gent-rally horn—color. Im.~Under parts slightly more yellow. 14., 5'41; \\'.,2'51; '11, 2'21; B. from N.. ‘31.

[L’cllltll'lt‘8.#Tllls is the smallest ot‘ our Flycatchcrs. It< size. the compara— tive absence of yellow on the under parts. and the generally horn-colored or brown lower mandible an: its chief distinguishing characters.

[Elwyn—Eastern ['nitml States: hrct-ds from Pennsylvania to Quebec, and southward in Allcghanics to North Carolina; winters in tropics.

Washington. common T. \'.,Ap1. 2.3 to May 2;); Aug. 25 to Sept. 25. Sing Sing, tolerably common S. it, Apl. :25 to Aug. 242. Cambridge, abundant S. R. May 1 to Aug. 25.

Noel. of plant down. plant fibers. rootlets. fine strips of bark. and long hairs. generally in a crotch tire to fifteen tl-ct up. [Sm/s, three to five, white, unmarked, '63 x 51.

\Vhen music was distributed. I believe most of our Flycatchcrs had back seats. It was an unfortunate circumstance. for their sedentary habits and apparently thoughtful. serious. even poetic dispositions make. one believe that with proper training they might have taken high rank as musicians.

Instead of the simple melody we might expect to hear from the modest Least li‘lycatcher. he salutes us with a singularly inappropriate. blisincs>-likc (“M/Mr. Mir/Mr, varying the performance by murderous sallies after passing insects. in crescendo passages he literally rises to the occasion, and on trembliin: wings sings an absurd “ NIP/H76. [Horn/— oorul. rim/Mr. Moral-ouml," with an earnestness deserving better results.

The. (‘hebcc. however. possesses originality; we. am not confuse his voice with that of any other bird. and young.r ornithologists should give him a vote of thanks for his clear cuunciation.

lle prefers fruit and shade trees to those of forest growth, and is therefore an inhabitant of our lawns and orchards.