124 FLYCATCHER VAGARIES 



seat at the entrance to the grove, and when 

 out of my range of vision. I knew him from 

 the frequent interpolation of the conven- 

 tional call, by which he proclaimed his iden- 

 tity his passport, one may say. 



He uttered various notes and calls, some 

 warlike, some tender, some almost a squeal, 

 some even mournful, nearly all eccentric. 

 Very curious was a sort of murmur, like 

 " m-m-m," which seemed to be a greeting to 

 another, beginning very low, then swelling 

 till quite loud, and again diminishing. 



One evening when I was sitting on the 

 piazza of the cottage, an olive-sided flycatcher 

 flew over the house singing at the top of his 

 voice, " see-here ! tu ! tu ! " and repeating it 

 rapidly, which was a marked departure from 

 his usual dignity. 



The flycatchers that I know have always 

 a great deal of dignity and tranquillity of 

 manner. They never show the flightiness of 

 a warbler, nor the restlessness of a swallow. 

 Some of them will sit hour after hour, up- 

 right, darting after an insect occasionally, it 

 is true, but always in a business-like way 

 that does not seem to detract from their 



