476 PASSERIFORMES CHAP. 
Myiotheretes, Cyanotis, and most of the Taeniopterinae, Sayornis 
having a ringing cry, supposed to resemble “ Phoebe,” which name it 
bears in North America, and Fluvicola and Cnipolegus giving vent 
to clicking sounds. Many species twitter, chirp, or chatter, while 
Pyrocephalus rubineus, Hapalocercus flaviventer, Ornithion imberbe, 
Contopus ardesiacus, and Empidonax flaviventer are stated to have 
a pleasant trill approaching a song. These notes may be uttered 
by the birds either when soaring in the air or when stationary. 
The food normally consists of insects, caught upon the wing with 
an audible snap of the bill; but Zaenioptera often, instead of 
hawking from a perch, pounces upon crawling beetles, grasps 
them in its claws, and devours them upon the earth. Pitangus 
bolivianus and some other forms even eat mice, young birds, 
small snakes, lizards, 
fishes, frogs, spiders, 
molluses, worms, and 
insect -larvae, beating 
the larger creatures 
upon a branch to kill 
them. Elainea strepera, 
Myiarchus — crinitus, 
and some species of 
Tyrannus, will eat 
berries and seeds. A 
bulkynest is often fash- 
ioned of rough twigs, 
moss, grass, straws, 
wool, hair, and rags ; 
which may be open as 
in Tyrannus, or domed 
as in Pitangus bolivi- 
anus,and placedin trees 
ineither case: or 1t may 
be beautifully felted 
with moss, lichens, and 
spiders’-webs, and lined with hair and feathers, as in Elainea and 
Serpophaga. Sayornis commonly makes a foundation of mud 
pellets, adding coarse materials above with feathers for bedding, the 
fabric being fixed to rocks or buildings. Again, many species build 
slight or fairly compact nests of grass, twigs, and softer materials 
Fic. 101.—Scissor-tail. Milvulus tyrannus. x 2. 
