118 



FLYCATCHERS— CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



It is composed externally of light, dry sticks, internally of a thin 

 layer of slender grasses or fibrous roots. There were regularly 

 four eggs, of a white color, with many dots toward the larger end." 



Rocky Mountain or Black Flycatcher. {Sayornis nigricans.) 



Fig. 5- 



This Rocky Mountain species in its appearance and manner 

 bears a very strong resemblance to our common Pewee, or Phebe- 

 bird. It was obtained by Mr. T. Peale, a naturalist connected 

 with Major Long's expedition in the vicinity of the Arkansas river, 

 within twenty miles of the Rocky Mountains. Nuttall says : 

 " We first observed this bird in our route westward, about the four- 

 teenth of June, within the first range of the Rocky Mountains, 

 called the Black Hills, and in the vicinity of that northern branch 

 of the Platte known by the name of Laramie's Fork. At the 

 time, we saw a pair perched, as usual, on a mass of rocks, from 

 which, like the Pewee, though occasionally alighting, they flew 

 after passing insects, without uttering any note that we heard; and 

 from their predilection, it is probable they inhabit among broken 

 hills and barren rocks, where we have scarcely a doubt, from their 

 behavior, they had at this time a brood or a nest among these 

 granite cliffs. They appeared very timorous on our approach, 

 and seemed very limited in their range. Except among the Blue 

 Mountains of the Columbia, we scarcely ever saw them again." 



Arkansas Flycatcher. {Tyr annus verticalis.) 

 Fig. 6. 



This noisy and quarrelsome Flycatcher is numerously to be met 

 with in the western parts of North America. Like the King Bird, 

 they dispute the familiarity or approach of any other bird during 

 the time of incubation. 



Mr. Allen says : " The Arkansas Flycatcher occurs abundantly 

 as far east as Fort Hays, Kansas, where it is one of the most nu- 

 merous and characteristic of the woodland birds. It seems even 

 more pugnacious than its relative, the King Bird, the males fight- 

 ing with each other almost constantly ; and it is equally alert in 

 driving other birds from the vicinity of its nest. Its notes are 

 harsher and louder than those of the King Bird, though at times 

 rather more musical ; they are marked by the same general char- 

 acter. It is more graceful on the wing than the latter bird, pos- 

 sessing rather superior powers of flight, yet resembling it closely 

 in general habits. It constructs a rather bulky and conspicuous 

 nest, composed outwardly of the coarse stems of plants, softly 

 lined with finer material, generally hair ; it is placed on the outer 

 and higher branches of quite large trees. The eggs, commonly 

 five in number, in size, shape, and color so closely resemble those 

 of the King Bird as not to be always distinguishable. Dozens of 

 pairs were breeding in the narrow belt of timber bordering Big 

 Creek, on the military reservation at Fort Hays. We also found 

 them nesting in isolated trees at the heads of ravines, sometimes 

 several miles from any other tree or shrub." 



The length of this species is nine inches. 



Chimney Swift, Chimney Swallow. ( Chaetura pelasgia.) 



Fig. 7. 



The familiar Chimney Swifts, sometimes called Chimney Swal- 

 lows, are readily distinguished from other Swallows by their long 

 wings and short tail. Their song consists entirely of a loud and 

 often-repeated chirp, which is so sprightly, and so evidently the 

 outpouring of the bird's own joyous sensations, as it turns its breast 

 in all directions, flaps its wings, and indulges in a variety of ani- 



mated gestures, that it can not fail to please the hearer, and impart 

 an additional charm to the beauties of the first hours of a bright 

 early summer's day. 



Soon after their appearance, they commence constructing their 

 curious nests, which are usually found in chimneys, and of which 

 Dr. Brewer says : 



" The nest of the Chimney Swallow is one of the most remark- 

 able structures of the kind to be found among the handiwork of 

 even this interesting family, nearly all of whom are far from being 

 undistinguished for their architectural accomplishments. It is 

 composed of small twigs of nearly uniform size, which are inter- 

 woven into a neat semi-circular basket. In selecting the twigs 

 with which to construct the nest, the Swift seems to prefer to break 

 from the tree such as are best adapted to its wants, rather than to 

 gather those already scattered upon the ground. This is done 

 with great skill and adroitness, while on the wing. Sweeping on 

 the coveted twig, somewhat as a Hawk rushes on its prey, it 

 parts it at the desired place, and bears it off to its nest. This fact 

 is familiar to all who have attentively observed its habits. Each 

 of these twigs is firmly fastened to its fellows by an adhesive sa- 

 liva, secreted by the bird, and the whole structure is strongly ce- 

 mented to the side of the chimney in which it is built by means 

 of the same secretion. When dry, this saliva hardens into a glue- 

 like substance, apparently firmer even than the twigs themselves. 

 In separating a nest from the side of a chimney, I have known 

 portions of the brick to which it was fastened to give way sooner 

 than the cement with which it had been secured. When moist- 

 ened, however, by long or heavy rains, the weight of their con- 

 tents will sometimes cause them to part, and precipitate the whole 

 to the bottom. The young birds cling very tenaciously to the sides 

 of the chimney, with their strong claws and muscular feet, and 

 often save themselves from falling, in such accidents, by this 

 means, even at a very early age, and before they have attained 

 their sight. As the nest, even when undisturbed, soon becomes 

 too small for them, the young leave it long before they are able to 

 fly, and climb to the top of the chimney, where they are fed by 

 their parents." 



The eggs, four to six in number, are pure white, unmarked, 

 sub-elliptical in shape, and measure 0.75 by 0.50, or slightly more. 



The power of flight possessed by these birds is unequaled by 

 any other species. It is claimed by Wilson that " The Swallow 

 flies, in his usual way, at the rate of one mile in a minute, and he 

 is so engaged for ten hours ever}'' day ; his active life is extended, 

 on an average, for ten years, which gives us two million one hun- 

 dred and ninety thousand miles— upward of eighty-seven times the 

 circumference of the globe. And yet this littled winged seraph, 

 if I may so speak, who, in a few days, can pass from the arctic 

 regions to the torrid zone, is forced, when winter approaches, to 

 descend to the bottom of lakes, rivers, and mill-ponds, to bury 

 itself in the mud with eels and snapping turtles, or to creep in- 

 gloriously into a cavern, a rat-hole, or a hollow tree, with snakes, 

 toads, and other reptiles, till the return of spring. Is not this true, 

 ye wise men of Europe and America, who have published so many 

 credible narratives upon this subject? The Geese, the Ducks, the 

 Cat-bird, and even the Wren, which creeps about our houses like 

 a mouse, are all declared to be migratory, and to pass to southern 

 regions on the approach of winter. The Swallow alone, on whom 

 Heaven has conferred superior powers of wing, must sink in tor- 

 pidity to the bottom of some pond, to pass the winter in the mud !" 

 Upon the ground, the Chimney Swift moves with an awkward and 

 helpless step. When upon the wing the powers of this bird, as it 

 skims over the face of the country, now soaring upward to a great 

 height, and now sinking suddenly down until it almost sweeps the 

 ground ; then, changing its course, it flies backward and forward 

 with amazing celerity, pursuing its way with untiring speed, and 

 not unfrequently indulging in a bath in the lake or stream over 

 the bosom of which it delights to skim. This proceeding, like all 

 its other evolutions on the wing, is rapidly and easily accom- 



