BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 251 



"Its note is the most characteristic sound in the woodland, 

 and is best represented by the words pee wee, the two syllables 

 about equally accented, the first perhaps a little higher, the 

 last sometimes rising, sometimes falling, but always prolonged, 

 always plaintive, as though the bird wished you to know t^at 

 its particular lot was harder than that of any of its feathered 

 friends, but it meant to make the best of it, and would try to 

 be cheerful. I found young, almost full-grown, August 15th. 

 The old birds at this season, perched on the dead limb of some 

 lofty elm or oak, utter from time to time their plaintive note, 

 making between times a hasty dash into the air to secure some 

 flying insect, then fly back to the perch. On beautiful Autumn 

 mornings, in woods of stately oaks, elms and poplars, where 

 dim shades are penetrated by occasional patches of checkered 

 sunlight, and whose silence was broken by the note of this 

 species, I found young birds waiting on perches for their par- 

 ent's return with some food, and filling the interim while she 

 is foraging, with a plaintive squeak uttered at intervals, and 

 sounding like the squeak of a mouse which has just felt the 

 wire of the trap squeezing his throat, though louder; occasionally 

 lowering their heads threateningly, and snapping their beaks 

 when some butterfly or dragonfly flew near them. Or, impa- 

 tient, they chase the mother bird, and one on either side strive 

 to force the morsel she has obtained from her mouth. 



"At Georgetown they were abundant; very common indeed at 

 Ada, and I noticed them at Crookston, St. Vincent and along 

 the Thief river." 



Many writers attempt to express the notes of this bird, but I 

 confess to a great inability to get what seems to me to be any 

 material resemblance. Still, if they but partially succeed it 

 may help to identify the bird, and I would not therefore dis- 

 courage their attempts. Suflice it, who has heard Phoebe will 

 recognize a member of the family. After the period of incu- 

 bation and rearing the young is over, the old birds apparantly 

 are very seldom found together, a circumstance accounted for 

 on the inference of conjugal indifference, which is entirely 

 gratuitous, for the well known characteristic habit of feeding 

 of the whole family explains the circumstances more satisfac- 

 torily and leaves the "good name" unstained. Whoever will 

 take sufficient pains will always find the partner of the sum- 

 mer's sacrifices not very far away. 



