412 FLYCATCHERS, 
on several successive days, were no way timid, and allowed 
me for some time previous to visiting their nest to investigate 
them and the premises they had chosen, without showing any 
sign of alarm or particular observation. 
This bird appears to have been discovered in the fur coun- 
tries about the same time as in the United States. According 
to Dr. Richardson, the specimen, figured so spiritedly in the 
“ Northern Zoology of Canada,’”’ was shot on the banks of the 
Saskatchewan as it was flying near the ground. 
In 1832, about the middle of June, the same pair appar- 
ently had again taken possession of a small juniper not more 
than 300 yards from the tree they had occupied the preceding 
year, about 14 or 15 feet up which they had fixed their thin 
twiggy nest as in the preceding year. It contained 4 eggs, on 
which the female had commenced sitting; these, except in 
their superior size, were precisely similar with those of the 
Wood Pewee, — yellowish-cream color, with dark-brown and 
lavender-purple spots, rather thinly dispersed. Being unfortu- 
nate enough to shake out the two eggs I intended to leave in 
the nest, the pair had to commence their labors of preparing 
for a progeny anew; and a few days after, a second nest was 
made in another Virginian juniper at a very short distance 
from the preceding. The present year, however, they did not 
return to their accustomed retreat, and no individual was seen 
in this vicinity. In all places it appears, in fact, a scarce and 
widely dispersed species. Audubon has since observed this 
bird in other parts of Massachusetts, Maine, the Magdalen 
Islands, and the coast of Labrador. He has also seen it in 
Georgia and in Texas. This species is a common inhabitant 
of the dark fir-woods of the Columbia, where it arrives 
towards the close of May. We again heard, at intervals, the 
same curious call, like ‘gh-phebéa, and sometimes like the gut- 
tural sound ’egh-phebeé, commencing with a sort of suppressed 
chuck ; at other times the note varied into a lively and some- 
times quick /’¢-defoway. This, no doubt, is the note attributed 
by Wilson to the Wood Pewee. When approached, or when 
calling, we heard the pu pu pu. 
