372 
The Phoebe 
in a cave near the nest while the birds went about their daily affairs. 
He says : | 
‘The female one day spent the greater part of the time in her nest; ' 
she frequently changed her position; her mate exhibited much uneasiness, ;1 
he would alight by her sometimes, sit by her side for a moment and sud- |l 
denly flying out would return with an insect, which she took from his i 
bill with apparent gratification. About three o’clock in the afternoon, i 
I saw the uneasiness of the female increase ; the male showed an unusual | 
appearance of despondence, when, of a sudden, the female rose to her 
feet, looked sidewise under her, and flying out, followed by her attentive 
consort, left the cave, rose high in the air, performing evolutions more 
curious to me than any I had seen before. They flew about over the | 
water, the female leading her mate, as it were, through her own mean- I 
derings. Leaving the Pewees to their avocations, I peeped into their s 
nest, and saw there their first egg, so white and so transparent that to I 
me the sight was more pleasant than if I had met with a diamond of i' 
the same size.” ' 
Very often the Phoebe rears two broods of young in a year. In such f 
cases the first nest is rarely used a second time. Their nests are often | 
infested with insects that must render the lives of the young very uncom- ! 
fortable ; in fact they are sometimes killed by the attacks of these para- 
sites. 
Few birds are greater insect-eaters. One need only watch a Phoebe 
a few minutes to become convinced of this fact. True Flycatcher that ! 
he is, the bird lies in wait for his prey. His watch- j 
tower is some dead limb or stake. Here he sits, fre- 
quently jerking his tail nervously and calling in his 
petulent, impatient way until some insect comes flying along. Then out ' 
he darts, seizes his prey in his beak, and returns to his perch. j 
Insect 
Food 
Phoebes eat many beetles, weevils, grasshoppers, and wasps, as well 
as flies that bite and sting cattle. A few seeds are eaten and the bird 
eats also an occasional cherry, elderberry, or other wild fruit. It is 
among the first birds to arrive in spring, and is the only Flycatcher in 
the United States that spends the winter north of the frost-line. It may 
be seen in Florida, Louisiana, and other southern states in the winter. 
Classification and Distribution 
The Pheebe belongs to the Order Passeres, the family Tyrannidcs (Tyrant Fly- 
catchers), and the genus Sayornis. Its scientific name is Sayornis pheehe. It breeds 
throughout all the United States and southern Canada, east of the dry plains as far 
north as New Brunswick, northern Manitoba and northern Alberta, and as far 
southwest as eastern New Mexico; and winters in the Gulf States and southward 
to southern Mexico. 
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