THE FLYCATCHING FAMILY 141 
plaintive, long-drawn-out “ pee-u-ee”’ and some- 
times “pee-ay,” but he can sing a droll little 
song. One lady who watched a wood pewee 
build her nest heard her sing to herself as she 
worked what sounded like “ O-wee-wee-wee.” 
The nest made by this little mother is very 
pretty. It is most often on a dead limb where 
a branch starts out, making a broad foundation. 
For this reason the bird is called in the South, ° 
the dead-limb bird. The nests are not all alike. 
I have seen many closely covered with lichen, 
and some made of gray moss so thin that the 
egos could be seen through it. Whatever it is 
made of, it is low and flat like a saucer, and so 
much like the branch it is on that it is not easy 
to see. 
Like other bird mothers, the wood pewee is 
devoted to her nestlings. She will shield them 
from the rain by sitting close on the nest and 
making an umbrella of herself. And when the 
sun comes down very hot on them, she has been 
seen to perch on the edge of the nest and spread 
her wings to act as a shade for them. It is 
pretty to see this bird with her little family when 
they have left the nest and are being taught to 
take care of themselves. She makes many sweet 
little noises which sound like talk, or a sort of 
whispering. 
