34 BIRDS OF NELSON COUNTY. 



preceding. They arrive about April 20th when they im- 

 mediately begin to make the wood, orchards and gardens 

 ring with their loud call-notes. They all appear to put 

 in their appearance on the same day, and do not straggle 

 in from the South like most of the migratory birds. Fresh 

 eggs are to be had about a month after their arrival. All 

 of the few nests I have found of this species — they breed 

 in hollows in trees — contained the inevitable cast-off snake 

 skins. ^Yhether or not they act upon the idea that ' 'the 

 hair of a dog is good for his bite," which is merely a 

 homely rendition of the homeopathic canon of ' 'similibus 

 similibus curantor," and put the skins in to keep the 

 snakes out, I leave for the determination of some of our 

 ornithological quidnuncs. 



Genus Sayornis. 



110. * Sajrornis phcebe (Lath.). Pewee. 



A common summer resident, and one of our best known 

 birds. On account of their confiding habit of building 

 their nests in conspicuous and easily accessible situations, 

 they are the most common victim of the nest-destroying- 

 smaU-boy vandals, who on account of the vast amount of 

 total depravity and original sin that is in them, break up 

 their well made houses "just because," as one of the little 

 fiends said to me, "they's so easy to punch with a stick." 

 The pewees build much earlier than any of our common 

 birds. I have found fresh eggs on March 29th. A few 

 undoubtedly winter here, as I have seen them in Decem- 

 ber, January and February. 



Genus Contopus. 



111. * Contopus virens (Linn.). Wood Pewee. 



An abundant summer resident. I have seen them here as 



