186 THE COMICAL CHEBEC 



four times an hour this little bit of thievery 

 took place, but whether one or both of the 

 pair took part I could not discover. 



There is a good deal of what we call com- 

 mon sense packed away in that tiny head. I 

 have told elsewhere of a chebec being in- 

 duced, by the convenience of supplies, to use 

 human-provided material for building her 

 nest, but when it proved inadequate, being 

 totally destroyed by rain, she rejected further 

 advice and assistance, even leaving the vicin- 

 ity of the would-be friend whose ill-considered 

 help had made her so much trouble. 



The flycatchers are an interesting family. 

 If not particularly beautiful (though some of 

 them are even that), they are certainly most 

 useful and exemplary in their lives. We have 

 dubbed them tyrants, which name not all of 

 them deserve, and we have classed them 

 among the songless birds, though the best 

 known of them the kingbird, wood-pewee, 

 and phoebe at least have each a sweet, 

 though not very loud song. 



As a family, flycatchers are not nervous. 

 Any one of the tribe that I know will let one 

 stare at pleasure at the home life. Apparently 



