The Phoebe 231 



John James Audubon, the great naturahst, tells us in one of his books of the 

 movements of a pair of these birds about their nest. He hid in a cave near the 

 nest while the birds went about their daily affairs. He says: 



"There was a remarkable and curious twittering in their note while both 

 sat on the edge of the nest at those meetings, and which is never heard on 

 any other occasion. It was the soft, tender expression, I thought, of the 

 pleasure they both appeared to anticipate of the future. Their mutual caresses, 

 simple as they might have seemed to another, and the delicate manner used 

 by the male to please his mate, riveted my eyes on these birds, and excited 

 sensations which I can never forget. 



"The female one day spent the greater part of the time in her nest; she 

 frequently changed her position; her mate exhibited much uneasiness, he 

 would alight by her sometimes, sit by her side for a moment and suddenly 

 flying out would return with an insect, which she took from his bill with 

 apparent gratification. About three o'clock in the afternoon, I saw the uneasi- 

 ness of the female increase; the male showed an unusual appearance of despon- 

 dency, when, of a sudden, the female rose on her feet, looked sidewise under her, 

 and flying out, followed by her attentive consort, left the cave, rose high in the 

 air, performing evolutions more curious to me than any I had seen before. 

 They flew about over the water, the female leading her mate, as it were, through 

 her own meanderings. Leaving the Pewees to their avocations, I peeped into 

 their nest, and saw there their first egg, so white and so transparent that to 

 me the sight was more pleasant than if I had met with a diamond of the 

 same size." 



Very often the Phoebe rears two broods of young in a year. In such cases 

 the first nest is rarely used a second time. Their nests are often infested with 

 insects that must render the lives of the young very uncomfortable, in fact 

 they are sometimes killed by the attacks of these parasites. 



Few birds are greater insect-eaters. One need only watch a Phoebe a few 

 minutes to become convinced of this fact. True Flycatcher that he is, the bird 

 lies in wait for his prey. His watch-tower is some dead limb or stake. Here he 

 sits, frequently jerking his tail nervously and calling in his petulant, impatient 

 way until some insect comes flying along. Then out he darts, seizes his prey 

 in his beak, and returns to his perch. 



Phoebes eat many beetles, weevils, grasshoppers, and wasps, as well as 

 flies that bite and sting cattle. A few seeds are taken and the bird eats also an 

 occasional cherry, elderberry, or other wild fruit. It is among the first birds 

 to arrive in spring, and is the only Flycatcher in the United States that spends 

 the winter north of the frost-line. It may be seen in Florida, Louisiana, and 

 other southern states in the winter. 



