n6 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



habits are not materially different. Dr. Coues says 

 of the latter, " It is a bird of open country, the Fly- 

 catcher of the plains. ... It has the same vibrating 

 motion of the tail so characteristic of the Eastern 

 pewee." 



In New England and " higher mountain districts 

 of the United States" is found the Olive-sided Fly- 

 catcher, which does not with any show of regularity 

 visit the lowland tracts of the Middle States, although 

 they have been found in the neighborhood of Phila- 

 delphia. As a Colorado bird, it is described as keep- 

 ing to "the tops of the trees, and is an active flycatcher; 

 its voice is loud and distinct, and its nest is placed in 

 the top of a pine and zealously guarded from all in- 

 trusion with as much fierceness and energy as the 

 kingbird's." 



The Wood Pewee is almost as common as the 

 phcebe bird, but it has not yet become so familiar as 

 to nest otherwheres than in trees, and among them it 

 passes the whole summer away. It comes to the 

 Middle States in April and disappears some time 

 before the common pewees have departed. While 

 not a shy bird as I have seen it, it prefers shade to 

 sunshine and tall trees to scrubby ones. It loves an 

 orchard, but it must be one of the old-fashioned kind, 

 with enough of general neglect about it to attract 

 insects of all kinds. Then, too, the trees must be 

 large and have in their branches a good range of 

 hunting ground. I have often been amused at the 

 diving for insects practised by these birds. Perched 

 on a dead twig of some tall tree projecting into open 

 space, the wood pewee will look down for insects 



