440 LAND BIRDS 



are variously rendered as " pree-pee-deer " and " whuish, 

 whuish," or " huip, huip." 



Although so busy, this Flycatcher is never so occupied 

 as to miss a chance of driving another bird, great or small, 

 away from the special clump of alders which the pug- 

 nacious mite has preempted for his own. When there 

 is no one else within scrapping distance, he contents him- 

 self with scolding his mate on the nest. Apparently 

 nothing suits him from the time the nest site is chosen 

 until the brood is reared. Capricious and variable, he 

 places his nest anywhere that strikes his fancy, whether 

 high up in the crotch of a sapling or close to the ground 

 among heavy weed stalks. The materials used are fine, 

 dry grasses, pine needles, plant down ; and for lining, 

 down and horsehair. About the middle of June both 

 sexes may be seen bringing material to the chosen site, 

 and too often one insists on scratching out the founda- 

 tions laid by the other, until in this way a week is often 

 consumed before the structure is complete. Only the 

 mother bird broods in the beautiful nest ; the male simply 

 straddling the edge in masculine helplessness when left 

 in charge, looking very wise but really quite useless so 

 far as keeping the eggs warm is concerned. In twelve 

 days queer naked bits of bird life fill the cradle, and 

 now the small brown master is full of importance. They 

 are hungry ; away he darts for food, but the demand is 

 ever greater than the supply. To satisfy those four open 

 mouths means a trip every two minutes or oftener. No 

 time has he now for scrapping or bullying his little wife. 

 From early morn he must hustle, snatching time for a 



