FLYCATCHERS 



197 



course, as plain as a pike-stafF — the snake skin 

 is employed deliberately by the bird to frif,'litcn 

 its enemies away from its nest. But who are the 

 bird's natural enemies? Cliieflv certain Hawks 



Courtesy ^A Am. Mus. Xat. Hist. 



CRESTED FLYCATCHER (J nat. size) 



Famous for its curious habit of weaving a snake skin 

 into its nest 



and Owls, and various other nest-robbing birds 

 like the Crow, Blue Jay, Cuckoo, and Catbird, in 

 addition to red squirrels and snakes. Now, no 

 Hawk or Owl which preys upon birds is afraid 

 of a snake ; in fact, snakes are killed and eaten 

 by most of these birds. The other feathered 

 nest-robbers mentioned would be afraid of a live 

 snake, but why should they fear a fragment of 

 dried snake skin? It is exceedingly doubtful if 

 they w'ould even recognize it as the sometime 

 covering of an enemy. .-Xnd the same applies to 

 the red squirrel ; while it seems a bit improbable, 

 to say the least, that a snake would be much ter- 

 rified by the skin of one of its own kind. 

 Furthermore, what right have we to suppose that 

 this particular bird, and this one alone, knows 

 that other birds are afraid of snakes ; that it 

 alone is capable of the intellectual process which 

 would prompt this deliberate deception ? For no 

 other bird does the same thing, or anything like 

 it. And finally, how could the snake skin, in part 

 or even in whole, certainly have this effect, since 

 the nest, in which it is often so interwoven as to 

 be almost invisible even in a strong light, is al- 

 ways placed in a cavity where there is little light 

 or none at all ? 



Xo. we do not know why this bird follows this 

 peculiar [jractice. There is no ajiparent good 

 reason for it ; most likely it does not besjjeak any 

 design whatsoever, but, as Mr. Burroughs says, 

 reflects simply a wliini or fancy. 



Yet all who know this Flycatcher well prob- 

 ably will admit that there is a suggestion of the 

 uncanny al)out him. His characteristic call, a 

 discordant and ]K'remptory 2vhcc{>, is not only 

 unmusical, but has an unearthly ring, as though 

 the bird were trying to conjure gnomes and hob- 

 goblins. .'\nd this impression is heightened by 

 the bird's elusive and mysterious manners, and 

 its evident desire to be let alone. 



George Gladden. 



The food of Crested Flycatchers shows about 

 94 per cent, of animal matter and 6 per cent, 

 of vegetable. Beetles constitute one-sixth of the 

 food, and of these one-fourth of i per cent, are 

 useful species. The remainder are mo,;tly of an 

 injurious character, some of them very harmful. 

 .^mong them are the notorious cotton-boll weevil, 

 the strawberry weevil, and the plum curculio. 

 While records do not indicate any special pref- 

 erence for the harmful beetles, they do show that 

 these are eaten as often as the average of the 

 different species. 



Bugs constitute 14.26 per cent, of the diet; 



Photo by S. A. Lottndije 



CRESTED FLYCATCHERS 

 Young in the nest, mother on guard on a limb nearby 



