128 PEWEE FLYCATCHER. 



was great. " How do you know this .?" he asked, " for,"" continued he, 

 " you are correct."" — " Simply,"" answered I, " because I hear the notes 

 of the Pewee, and know that a cave, or a deep rocky creek, is at hand."" 

 We moved on ; the Pewees rose from under tlie bridge in numbers ; I 

 pointed to the spot and won the wager. 



This rule of observation I have almost always found to work, as arith- 

 meticians say, both ways. Thus the nature of the woods or place in 

 which the observer may be, whether high or low, moist or dry, sloping 

 north or south, with whatever kind of vegetation, tall trees of particular 

 species, or low shrubs, will generally disclose the nature of their inhabi- 

 tants. 



The flight of the Pewee Flycatcher is performed by a fluttering light 

 motion, frequently interrupted by sailings. It is slow when the bird is 

 proceeding to some distance, rather rapid when in pursuit of prey. It 

 often mounts perpendicularly from its perch after an insect, and returns to 

 some dry twig, from which it can see around to a considerable distance. 

 It then swallows the insect whole, unless it happen to be large. It will 

 at times pursue an insect to a considerable distance, and seldom without 

 success. It alights with great firmness, immediately erects itself in the 

 manner of hawks, glances all around, shakes its wings with a tremulous 

 motion, and vibrates its tail upwards as if by a spring. Its tufty crest is 

 generally erected, and its whole appearance is neat, if not elegant. The 

 Pewee has its particular stands, from which it seldom rambles far. The 

 top of a fence stake near the road is often selected by it, from which it 

 sweeps off in all directions, returning at intervals, and thus remaining the 

 greater part of the morning and evening. The corner of the roof of the 

 barn suits it equally well, and if the weather requires it, it may be seen 

 perched on the highest dead twig of a tall tree. During the heat of the 

 day it reposes in the shade of the woods. In the autumn it will choose 

 the stalk of the mullein for its stand, and sometimes the projecting angle 

 of a rock jutting over a stream. It now and then alights on the ground 

 for an instant, but this happens principally during winter, or while en- 

 gaged during spring in collecting the materials of which its nest is com- 

 posed, in our Southern States, where many spend their time at this sea- 

 son. 



I have found this species abundant in the Floridas in winter, in full 

 song, and as lively as ever, also in Louisiana and the Carolinas, parti- 

 cularly in the cotton fields. None, however, to my knowledge, breed 



