50 EVERYDAY BIRDS 
trick of flying straight up in the air, almost per- 
pendicularly, as if he were trying to see how near 
he could come to performing that impossible feat, 
and then tumbling about madly, with noisy out- 
cries. Often it looks as if he actually turned 
somersaults. He cannot sing, and so has to let 
his high spirits bubble over in these half-crazy 
gymnastics. All in all, he is a very lively and 
entertaining customer. 
His nest is built in a tree, often in an orchard, 
and is comparatively easy to find. The birds 
arrive in New England in the first week of May, 
having passed the winter in Central or South 
America, and remain till the end of August. 
Like most birds, they are very punctual in 
their coming and going. No doubt they have 
an almanac of their own. You will do well to 
find one of them in Massachusetts after the first 
two or three days of September. 
Toward the end of their stay, flycatchers 
though they are, they feed largely upon berries. 
I have seen a dozen in one small dogwood bush, 
all eating greedily. 
