270 THE INVITATION. 



The common pewee excites the most pleas- 

 ant emotions, both on account of its plaintive 

 note and its exquisite mossy nest. 



The phoebe-bird is the pioneer of the fly- 

 catchers, and comes in April, sometimes in 

 March. It conies familiarly about the house 

 and out-buildings, and usually builds beneath 

 hay-sheds or under bridges. 



The fly-catchers always take their insect 

 prey on the wing, by a sudden darting or 

 swooping movement ; often a very audible 

 snap of the beak may be heard. 



These birds are the least elegant, both in 

 form and color, of any of our feathered 

 neighbors. They have short legs, a short 

 neck, large heads, and broad, flat beaks, 

 with bristles at the base. They often fly 

 with a peculiar quivering movement of the 

 wings, and when at rest, oscillate their tails 

 at short intervals. 



There are found in the United States nine- 

 teen species. In the Middle and Eastern 

 districts, one may observe in summer, with- 

 out any special search, about five of them, 

 namely, the king-bird, the phoebe-bird, the 

 wood-pewee, the great-crested fly-catcher (dis- 

 tinguished from all others by the bright fer- 

 ruginous color of its tail), and the small 

 green-crested fly-catcher. 



