122 FLYCATCHER VAGARIES 



another bird, and until I saw him utter it 

 I was not sure it was his. 



The continued song of the alder flycatcher 

 was most attractive. He generally opened 

 with a loud, strident " whee-o ! " several 

 times repeated, as if to compel the attention 

 of his audience. Then, after treating the 

 world to his well-known call, and later add- 

 ing the second clause, he would take a lower 

 tone and utter a plaintive " qu ! qu ! qu ! 

 qu-eu ! " suggestive of trouble or anxiety, 

 and from that go on through his repertoire. 

 He was extremely versatile, indulging in 

 many other and different notes, some of 

 which can neither be described, nor imitated 

 by the human voice, and nearly all in an 

 undertone. These he would deliver in a vari- 

 ety of ways, and thus make peculiar, even 

 droll combinations, which he appeared to 

 enjoy exceedingly, keeping it up an hour at 

 a time. 



The nest of this bird is interesting. One 

 lies before me now. It is made of fine spruce 

 twigs containing bunches of usnea, and in- 

 side of fine grasses and a very few horse- 

 hairs. It is placed, most curiously, not on 



