90S THE PEWEE FLYCATCHER. 



protection of hay and grain. Having caught several of these birds on the 

 nest, I had the pleasure of finding that two of them had the little ring on the 

 leg. 



I was now obliged to go to France, where I remained two years. On my 

 return, which happened early in August, I had the satisfaction of finding 

 three young Pewees in the nest of the cave; but it was not the nest which I 

 had left in it. The old one had been torn off from the roof, and the one 

 which I found there was placed above where it stood. I observed at once 

 that one of the parent birds was as shy as possible, while the other allowed 

 me to approach within a few yards. This was the male bird, and I felt con- 

 fident that the old female had paid the debt of nature. Having inquired of 

 the miller's son, I found that he had killed the old Pewee and four young 

 ones, to make bait for the purpose of catching fish. Then the male Pewee 

 had brought another female to the cave! As long as the plantation of Mill 

 Grove belonged to me, there continued to be a Pewee's nest in my favourite 

 retreat; but after I had sold it, the cave was destroyed, as were nearly all 

 the beautiful rocks along the shores of the creek, to build a new dam across 

 the Perkiomen. 



This species is so peculiarly fond of attaching its nest to rocky caves, 

 that, were it called the Rock Flycatcher, it would be appropriately named. 

 Indeed I seldom have passed near such a place, particularly during the breed- 

 ing season, without seeing the Pewee, or hearing its notes. I recollect that, 

 while travelling in Virginia with a friend, he desired that I would go some- 

 what out of our intended route, to visit the renowned Rock Bridge of that 

 State. My companion, who had passed over this natural bridge before, 

 proposed a wager that he could lead me across it before I should be aware of 

 its existence. It was early in April; and, from the descriptions of this place 

 which I had read, I felt confident that the Pewee Flycatcher must be about 

 it. I accepted the proposal of my friend and trotted on, intent on proving 

 to myself that, by constantly attending to one subject, a person must sooner 

 or later become acquainted with it. I listened to the notes of the different 

 birds, which at intervals came to my ear, and at last had the satisfaction to 

 distinguish those of the Pewee. I stopped my horse, to judge of the distance 

 at which the bird might be, and a moment after told my friend that the 

 bridge was short of a hundred yards from us, although it was impossible for 

 us to see the spot itself. The surprise of my companion 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 the bridge in numbers; I pointed to the spot and won the 

 wager. 



