The Birds’ Calendar 
on a prominent point of a bush or tree, from 
which they suddenly dart forth and snap up an 
insect (sometimes several in succession) that is 
in the air, and, after more or less manceuvring 
on the wing, returning to their post of observa- 
tion to wait for the next morsel that comes 
in sight. Many other birds, like vireos and 
warblers, can be seen at times collecting their 
food in the same manner. 
Tropical America, where insect-life is most 
abundant, is the home of nearly all the species 
of flycatchers. Out of nearly three hundred 
clearly defined varieties in the New World, only 
thirty are to be found in North America, and 
most of these the least attractive as regards 
plumage. Mexico, Central America, and Brazil 
show many beautiful species, fork-tailed, black 
and white, yellow and crimson, rivalling the 
warblers in their brilliant attire; and in their 
graceful manceuvrings in pursuit of their help- 
less prey, they are the very daintiest combina- 
tion of poetry and murder imaginable. 
The phoebe, though comparatively small 
(about seven inches long), is quite a conspicuous 
object, from its prominent position at the tip- 
end of a leafless branch, and is most likely to 
be found in the vicinity of water, where even 
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