76 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part I. 



THE PH(EBE. 



THE -WOOD PEWEE. 



THE SMALL PETTEE. 



ers, whicli is vory trining' compared with 

 the services wliicli ho renders the firmer 

 and gardener. Tlie kingbird manifests 

 no fear of the larger birds, but wlienever, 

 during tlieir breeding season, a hawk or 

 crow comes near his nest, he boldly at- 

 tacks hini, pounces upon his back, and 

 ])ersecutes him till he is glad to abandon 

 the neiohborhood. 



THE PHffiBE. 

 Muscicapa fusco . — Bon a p. 



Description. — General color above 

 brown with an olive tinge, darker on the 

 head ; winiis and tail blackish brown, the 

 feathers having the appearance of being 

 faded and worn, and the color of their 

 shafts dark umber; an indistinct grayish 

 circle around the eye, the pupil of which 

 is bluish black and the iris dark hazel; 

 belly vellowish wiiilo; tail slightly fork- 

 ed. Bill broad, hooked at the ))oint, and 

 wholly black; legs and feet black with 

 sharp claws. Length of the specimen 

 before me G-i inches; folded wing 3.4; 

 tail 2.7 and reaching 1.4 beyond the fold- 

 ed wings. The 3d quill longest, 2d and 

 4 th equal. 



History. — This well known and fa- 

 miliar bird arrives from the south about 

 the beoinning of April and retires again 

 in October. During the summer it is 

 found in all parts of the state. It seems 

 to prefer building its nest beneath bridg- 

 es, in sheds and under the caves of barns. 

 The nest is usually constructed of mud 

 and moss, and lined with grass, hair and 

 other fibrous substances, and issometimes 

 built upon the top of beams, and at others 

 stuck upon the sides. The eggs are 4 or 

 ."), and are white and unspotted. These 

 birds l)ccome very much attached to pla- 

 ces where they have roared their young, 

 and the same pair will resort to a partic- 

 ular locality for that purpose, many years 

 in succession, In illustration of this 

 statement I will mention one, of several 

 cases which have fallen under my own 



observation. About the year 1826 two of 

 these birds built a nest upon a shelf in 

 my wood-shed, and for two years in suc- 

 cession raised broods of young-ones in 

 the same place. The third year when 

 the young were about half grovvn the fe- 

 male bird disappeared. The male bird 

 remained about tlie nest, but, not feeding 

 the young ones, they died. The male 

 staid till fall and then left, but returned 

 alone in the spring ; and for three suc- 

 cessive summers that bird sung his solita- 

 ry and sad lament for her to whom his 

 young heart and early vows had been 

 l)lighted, around the place which had 

 been the scene of mutual joys. The 

 name of this bird is derived from the 

 sound of its note. It is also called the 

 Farit Flijcntcher. 



THE WOOD PEWEE. 

 .Mtiscicapa vircns. — Linn. 



Description. — Color dusky brownish 

 olive ; head brownish black, slightly cres- 

 ted ; below pale yellowish, inclining to 

 white. Tail forked ; 2d primary longest; 

 1st much sjiorter than the 3d, and longer 

 Ihan the 6th. Length 6 inches; spread 

 10. The female a little smaller. — J\'utt. 



HisTouv. This species bears consider- 

 able resemblance to the preceding, but 

 differs from it in its habits and notes. It ar- 

 rives later in the spring, and confines it- 

 self principally to the thickets and forests. 

 Its nest is usually attached to the hori- 

 zontal branch of a tree, and is very curi- 

 ously constructed of grass, fine roots, lich- 

 ens and cobwebs, held together by a glu- 

 tinous cement, and is so thin as to appear 

 almost transparent. The eggs are 4 or T), 

 of a light yellowish hue, spotted with red- 

 dish brown towards the large end. 



THE SMALL PEWEE. 

 Muscicapa acadica. — Gmel. 



Description. — Color above dusky ol- 

 ive green ; yellowish white beneath, in- 

 clining to ash on the breast ; wings dusky 

 brown, crossed with two bars of dull 

 white ; outer edge of the 1st primarj^, 

 edges of the secondaries, and ring around 

 the eye, whitish ; under wing coverts pale 

 yellow ; 2d, 3d, and 4th primaries nearly 

 equal and longest. Tail pale dusky brown, 

 notched ; legs and feet black. Sexes 

 nearly alike. Length 5^ inches; spread 

 d.—JS'uUall. 



History. — This species is common du- 

 ring the summer in all the northern parts 

 of the United States and Canada, but 

 none of them were seen by Audubon or 

 his party in Labrador. It breeds in this 



