52 HOW TO STUDY BIRDS 



which now all too seldom are able to find lodgment, 

 owing, in part at least, to the " feathered rat." 



These cannot, however, dislodge the chimney swift, 

 which comes so very close home as to build its basket- 

 nest of gummed sticks in many a chimney of the 

 older and wider type. Sometimes, when the young 

 are growing, such a racket is kept up within the chim- 

 ney, even at night, that it takes some enthusiasm 

 for birds not to wish that these were farther off. 

 Another notably familiar bird is the little gray phoebe, 

 which puts its nest in any available building. 



The orchard, even though small, is a favorite re- 

 sort for certain birds, and even a few fruit trees in 

 the garden have great drawing powers. Besides 

 most of the birds already mentioned, the bold king- 

 bird, our largest flycatcher, of excitable manners, is 

 notably an orchard bird, defending its nest, and inci- 

 dentally those of other birds, from marauding jay, 

 crow, or hawk. The other large flycatcher, the 

 crested, though rather scarce, likes the orchard, where 

 in a hollow limb it builds its nest which is famous 

 for always including a snake-skin in its material. 

 The smallest species too, the least flycatcher, or 

 " chebec," likes the orchard and the garden, as some- 

 times does one other, the wood pewee, with its pro- 

 longed plaintive note, though the groves are most 

 frequently its temple. .^ 



That large woodpecker, the flicker, likes to carve 

 out his nest in a dead limb or decaying trunk. The 

 cedar waxwing, or cedar-bird, Is very partial to the 



