422 FLYCATCHERS. 



Territory, and seems most abundant in the Northern and 

 Eastern States. Though, Hke the preceding, these are soHtary, 

 retiring birds, and fond of the shade of the forest, yet in this 

 vicinity their nests are numerous. On their first arrival, pre- 

 vious to pairing, they are engaged in constant quarrels about 

 their mates, and often molest other birds whom they happen to 

 see employed in pursuit of the same kind of food with them- 

 selves. Like the preceding species, they take their station on 

 a low branch to reconnoitre the passing insects on which they 

 feed, and from time to time make a circular sweep for their 

 prey. When seated, they utter very frequently a sharp, un- 

 pleasant squeak, somewhat resembling that of the Kingbird, 

 sounding like qiicah, and sometimes 'tsh'ah, or tsheah, tsheah, 

 and tshooe, with a guttural, snapping sound, succeeded by a 

 kind of querulous, low twitter uttered as they fly from tree to 

 tree, and chiefly at the instant of alighting. At other times 

 they have a recognizing, rather low call of ''whit, 'whit, re- 

 peated at short intervals ; again, in the warmest weather, I 

 have heard one of these Pewees call something like the whist- 

 ling of 'weet, 'tvcct, 'wcet, ^will. Occasionally, when fighting 

 or in flying, it also makes an echoing fshirr. It possesses all 

 the habits of the Kingbird, catches bees, flies, and moths, ex- 

 hibits a variety of quivering 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 horizon- 

 tal branch of an apple-tree or forest tree. In most instances 

 in the woods a gloomy, solitary situation is chosen. The mate- 

 rials of this fabric vary according 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 matted 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 neigh- 

 boring graft is probably unravelled. The interior is usually 

 formed of slender, narrow strips of bark, bass, and dry grass ; 



