132 IN BIRD LAND. 
Younger readers may, perhaps, need to be in- 
formed that the wood-pewee belongs to the family 
of flycatchers, as do also the king-bird or bce- 
martin, the phcebe-bird, the great-crested fly- 
catcher, and a number of other interesting species, 
all of which have a peculiar way of taking their 
prey. The pewee will sit almost motionless on a 
twig, lisping his plaintive tune at intervals, until a 
luckless insect comes buzzing near, all unconscious 
of its peril, when the bird will make a quick dash 
at it, seize it dexterously between his mandibles, 
and then circle around gracefully to the same or 
another perch, having made a splendid “catch on 
the fly.” If the quarry he has taken is small, it 
slips at once down his throat; but should it be 
too large to be disposed of in that summary way, 
he will beat it into an edible form upon a limb 
before gulping it down. Agile as he is, he some- 
times misses his aim, being compelled to make a 
second, and occasionally even a third attempt to 
secure his prize. I have witnessed more than one 
comedy which turned out to be a tragedy for the 
ill-starred insect. Sometimes the insect will resort 
to the ruse of dropping toward the ground when it 
sees the bird darting toward it, and then a scuffle 
ensues that is really laughable, the pursuer whirl- 
ing, tumbling, almost turning somersault in his 
desperate efforts to capture his prize. Once an 
insect flew between me and a pewee perched on a 
twig, when the bird darted down toward me with 
oD?) 
a directness of aim that made me think for a 
