412 FLYCATCHERS. 



on several successive days, were no way timid, and allowed 

 me for some time previous to visiting their nest to investigate 

 them and the premises they had chosen, without showing any 

 sign of alarm or particular observation. 



This bird appears to have been discovered in the fur coun- 

 tries about the same time as in the United States. According 

 to Dr. Richardson, the specimen, figured so spiritedly in the 

 " Northern Zoology of Canada," was shot on the banks of the 

 Saskatchewan as it was flying near the ground. 



In 1832, about the middle of June, the same pair appar- 

 ently had again taken possession of a small juniper not more 

 than 300 yards from the tree they had occupied the preceding 

 year, about 14 or 15 feet up which they had fixed their thin 

 twiggy nest as in the preceding year. It contained 4 eggs, on 

 which the female had commenced sitting ; these, except in 

 their superior size, were precisely similar with those of the 

 Wood Pewee, — yellowish-cream color, with dark-brown and 

 lavender-purple spots, rather thinly dispersed. Being unfortu- 

 nate enough to shake out the two eggs I intended to leave in 

 the nest, the pair had to commence their labors of preparing 

 for a progeny anew ; and a few days after, a second nest was 

 made in another Virginian juniper at a very short distance 

 from the preceding. The present year, however, they did not 

 return to their accustomed retreat, and no individual was seen 

 in this vicinity. In all places it appears, in fact, a scarce and 

 widely dispersed species. Audubon has since observed this 

 bird in other parts of Massachusetts, Maine, the Magdalen 

 Islands, and the coast of Labrador. He has also seen it in 

 Georgia and in Texas. This species is a common inhabitant 

 of the dark fir-woods of the Columbia, where it arrives 

 towards the close of May. We again heard, at intervals, the 

 same curious call, like ''gh-phebea, and sometimes like the gut- 

 tural sound ''egh-phebee, commencing with a sort of suppressed 

 chuck ; at other times the note varied into a lively and some- 

 times quick ft-detoway. This, no doubt, is the note attributed 

 by Wilson to the Wood Pewee. When approached, or when 

 calling, we heard the pu pu pu. 



