348 



ZOOLOGY— BIRDS. 



The habitat of this flycatcher upon the West Coast appears to extend 

 much farther to the north than in the Interior ; it there seeming to scarcely 

 reach the Middle Region at all, while it is cited by a number of observers 

 as common in California, and as even occurring in Oregon. In Southern 

 Arizona and New Mexico it is rather numerous, probably occurring in as 

 great abundance there as anywhere. No one acquainted with the appear- 

 ance and habits of the Pewee of the Eastern States, familiar as its presence 

 is about the barns and outbuildings of the farms, building beneath the 

 eaves, and pursuing its prey with broad sweeps and rapid circlings to the 

 very doors of the houses, could fail to recognize in this bird the close 

 relationship of the two species. In the settled districts, it quickly learns to 

 modify its primitive habits, and to take advantage of the conditions which 

 it finds surrounding man. In the region, however, where I have most 

 observed it, civilization has as yet made few encroachments, and the habits 

 of the bird are here unchanged. It seems to have a constant predilection 

 for the neighborhood of water, being found both on the running streams and 

 about stagnant pools. Here it finds an abundance of insects, and in pursuit 

 of these the bird is constantly engaged, oftentimes just skimming the surface 

 as it moves from point to point, now ascending, now descending the cur- 

 rent as it sees the object of its search. I have never seen the nest, but, 

 noticing how often the bird is found where the creeks, cutting deep into the 

 soil, are confined by steep banks, have thought that, other situations failing, 

 the natural shelves and crevices in these form the resting places for their 

 domiciles. It is by no means a noisy bird, and the sharp clicking of the 

 bill, as it closes on some unlucky insect, with a few faint twittering notes, 

 uttered often in flying, or just as it resumes its perch, alone betray its 

 presence. 



