476 



PASSERIFORMES 



Myiotheretes, Cyanotis, and most of the Taeniopterinae, Sayornis 

 having a ringing cry, supposed to resemble "Phoebe/' which name it 

 bears in JSTorth America, and Muvicola and C'nipolegus giving vent 

 to clicking sounds. Many species twitter, chirp, or chatter, while 

 PyroceplialiMS rubineus, Hapalocereus flaviventer, Ornithion imlerhe, 

 Contopus ardesiacus, and Empidonax flaviventer are stated to have 

 a pleasant trill approaching a song. These notes may be uttered 

 by the birds either when soaring in the air or when stationary. 

 The food normally consists of insects, caught upon the wing with 

 an audible snap of the bill ; but Taenioptera often, instead of 

 hawking from a perch, pounces upon crawling beetles, grasps 

 them in its claws, and devours them upon the earth. Fitanffus 

 holivianus and some other forms even eat mice, young birds, 



small snakes, lizards, 

 fishes, frogs, spiders, 

 molluscs, worms, and 

 insect - larvae, beating 

 the larger creatures 

 upon a branch to kill 

 them. JElainea strepera, 

 Myiarchus crinitus, 

 and some species of 

 Tyrannus, will eat 

 berries and seeds. A 

 bulky nest is often fash- 

 ioned of rough twigs, 

 moss, grass, straws, 

 wool, hair, and rags ; 

 which may be open as 

 in Tyrannus, or domed 

 as in Tltangus bolivi- 

 anus,a.iid placedin trees 

 in either case: or it may 

 be beautifully felted 

 with moss, lichens, and 

 spiders'-webs, and lined with hair and feathers, as in Mainea and 

 Serpophaga. Sayornis commonly makes a foundation of mud 

 pellets, adding coarse materials above with feathers for bedding, the 

 fabric being fixed to rocks or buildings. Again, many species build 

 slight or fairly compact nests of grass, twigs, and softer materials 



Fig. 101. — Scissor-tail. Milvulus tyrannus. 



