132 Birds of Oregon and Washington 



his mouth and stomach, and is back again upon 

 the very same perch, ready for the next unwary 

 fly or gnat that ventures in his neighborhood. 



The Flycatchers all have, in general, upper 

 parts from olive to dark slate-color, darker head 

 and tail, sometimes quite black, with more or less 

 grayish-white on breast. In form they are, while 

 sitting, awkward, and suggest a dwarf race, hav- 

 ing apparently — owing to a short neck — a large 

 head in proportion to the body ; while the bird 

 is in repose the tail is dropped as low as the 

 Wren's is held high, and the wings droop as 

 they do in a sick canary or chicken. Five 

 species of this family are represented in the accom- 

 panying picture, and furnish an excellent illus- 

 tration of general resemblances and particular 

 differences in these related birds. They have 

 no song, only a call, which is, in all of the varie- 

 ties described in this book (with the exception of 

 an occasional note from the Pewee), rather stri- 

 dent, and quite in harmony with the whole man- 

 ner of the bird. 



They are a very interesting family. In the 

 East and in California, and in some places in 

 Oregon and in Washington, one species, the 



