THE WOOD PEWEE 



Flycatcher Family — Tyrannidce 



Length : From 6 to 6^ inches. 



Male and Female : Dark olive-gray above, darkest -on the head, 

 which is somewhat crested; the slightly hooked bill 

 has bristles at its base; under parts, grayish-white, 

 slightly tinged with yellow; breast and sides a 

 darker gray; brownish wings and tail; two whitish 

 wing-bars that are more conspicuous than those of 

 the phoebe. 



Notes: Pee-a-wee, uttered slowly and mournfully, yet with 

 sweetness and tenderness. Sometimes the phrase is 

 followed by an abrupt Peer, given with a falling in- 

 flection. At times pewees sing continuously. My 

 sister timed one that sang for an hour and twenty 

 minutes at daybreak. 



Nest: One of the most beautiful made. It is rather broad and 

 flat, decorated on the outside with lichens similarly 

 to that of the hummingbird. The nest seems to grow 

 out of the branch on which it is placed. 



Bange: North and South America. Breeds from southern 

 Canada to southern Texas and central Florida, west- 

 ward to eastern Nebraska; winters from Nicaraugua 

 to Colombia and Peru. 



OF all the flycatchers of my acquaintance the Wood 

 Pewee is the most lovable. He is the only one 

 that possesses a sweet voice; but his note, long-drawn and 

 sad, seems to proceed from an over-burdened heart. The 

 appearance of the little bird is dejected, as with drooping 

 tail, he utters the plaintive sound. 



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