SMALL PEWEE. 289 



tshirr. It possesses all the habits of the King-bird, 

 catches bees, flies, and moths, exhibits a variety of quiv- 

 ering motions, and defends its nest with great courage 

 against the approach of larger birds. 



The nest of the Small Pewee is usually fixed in the 

 slender, upright forks of a young forest tree, from 6 to 20 

 or 30 feet from the ground. I have also found the nests 

 on the horizontal branch of an apple tree or forest tree. 

 In most instances, in the woods, a gloomy, solitary situa- 

 tion is chosen. The materials of this fabric vary accord- 

 ing to circumstances ; for the first brood, a very soft and 

 warm nest is usually made of dry grass, willow, and cud- 

 weed down, in large quantities, partly felted or mat- 

 ted together externally with the saliva of the bird. 

 Common tow, if convenient, is also occasionally em- 

 ployed, when the nest is in an apple tree, for which 

 some neighbouring graft is probably unravelled. They 

 likewise sometimes employ bits of wool. The interi- 

 or is usually formed of slender, narrow strips of bark, 

 bass, and dry grass ; the lining is commonly of fine root 

 fibres, slender tops of bent grass, and at times a few 

 hairs and feathers. Occasionally the principal external 

 material consists of strips or strings of silk-weed lint, and 

 the bark of the common virgin's-bower.* The nest is ex- 

 tremely neat and uniform, resembling a complete hemi- 

 sphere. The eggs are 5, and pure white. As nefets may 

 be found late in July, it is probable they have a second 

 brood in the course of the season. They are extremely 

 attached to their offspring, and keep up an incessant, 

 almost choking tshedli tshedli, when any person approach- 

 es towards the tree where they have their brood. The 

 young and old now move about in company, and at this 

 time feed on various kinds of berries, particularly those 



* Clematis virginiana. 



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