Phoehe. 231 



ever its chosen neighborhood, it early makes its appear- 

 ance, and its voice and presence are an earnest of the 

 approaching season. The trees do not usually don their 

 summer robes until several weeks after its arrival, and as 

 it perches on bare limbs near the future site of its nest, its 

 manners can be studied with uninterrupted view of its 

 surroundings. Like many other familiar birds, the phoebe 

 will sometimes return to the same place summer after 

 summer, showing a remarkable attachment to a particular 

 spot. 



From its perch over or beside the streamlet, the phcebe 

 dashes out and takes the flying insects which dance in the 

 sunshine and dart to and fro above the shallow water. 

 Turning quickly in air, after the manner of the kingbird 

 and the wood pewee, it returns to its perch, or to another one 

 favorable to the continuance of its occupation of procuring 

 a meal. It apparently is endowed with a more nervous 

 temperament than its relative mentioned, for it is very 

 restless, being more like Traill's flycatcher in this respect. 

 Even while sitting on its perch, its flitting tail and nerv- 

 ous drooping of the wings and other quick motions, betray 

 its restless disposition. Indeed, it even utters the call 

 which suggests its name in an abrupt, jerky manner, and 

 in most of its actions it reminds us of children who seem- 

 ingly can't keep still for more than a little moment. 



Thus the phcebe passes the days of its summer sojourn, 

 unwittingly allying itself with the agriculturist as it satis- 

 fies the demands of its daily existence. Frequently as it 

 sits it calls in the well-known syllables which have given 

 the species the popular name of "pewee." These sylla- 

 bles are often uttered in the sharp, twittering manner 

 peculiar to the flycatchers, and to the sympathetic listener 

 they express a sense of gratification at the capture of a 

 choice bit of food, or a feeling of joy in the possession 

 of a home and congenial surroundings. This twittering 

 is not properly ranked as a song, for the flycatchers are not 

 classed with the songsters; but it is as good a song as is 

 executed by some of the real singers. The flycatchers 

 should have full credit, if they exercise the talents they 

 possess, even if their efforts are not so noisy as those of 

 some of the so-called Oscines. 



