FLYCATCHERS 321 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America; breeding from Pennsylvania and 

 Texas to Quebec, Great Slave Lake and Mackenzie Valley ; wintering in 

 Central America. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; common summer resident, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook; rather common summer resident throughout, (Knight J. Cum- 

 berland; common summer resident, (Mead;. Franklin; common summer 

 resident, (Swain). Hancock; common summer resident inland but rare on 

 the islands, (Knight). Kennebec; common summer resident, (Gardiner 

 Branch). Knox; one August 1, 1899, on Fox Islands, (Howe, J. M. 0. S. 

 1900, p. 30). Oxford; common breeder, (Nash). Penobscot; common sum- 

 mer resident, (Knight). Piscataquis ; common, breeds, (Homer). Sagadahoc; 

 common, (Spinney). Somerset; common summer resident, (Morrell). 

 Waldo; common summer resident, (Knight). Washington; abundant 

 summer resident, (Boardman). York; common summer resident, (Adams). 



In the spring the first arrivals appear sometimes as early as 

 May second, but more generally about the eighth or ninth, 

 and the majority depart in August, only stragglers being 

 found up to sometimes September fifth. The species is generally 

 common and well distributed throughout the State, frequenting 

 orchards, the trees of city streets and parks, country roadsides 

 and open growth along waterways. 



Soon after their arrival the well known call "che-bec, che-bec" 

 may be heard in the trees. When with its mate the male often 

 utters a "twitter-wit" and also a warbling "per-wit-we-we." 

 They are very prone to perch on stakes, bean poles and other 

 prominent places, sitting there with twitching tail and wings, 

 occasionally erecting their head feathers and crying "che-bec" 

 and flitting into the air after some insect which is seized with 

 a very perceptible "snipping" sound made with the beak. 



The nest is very often placed in apple or other orchard 

 trees at heights of ten to fifteen feet, or in maple trees at 

 thirty to forty feet elevation and also in other hardwood trees 

 which may be suitable. The nest is composed of fine silken 

 weed fibers, cedar bark, willow down, thread, twine and hair. 

 A pair of these birds nest in a maple tree opposite my home 

 every season. Both birds make frequent visits to the bean- 

 poles in my garden and tug strenuously at the soft fibrous 

 portions of cedar bark which ultimately they secure and bear 



