Least Flycatcher 
171 
in the tropics among gorgeously feathered 
friends? Even the plain vireos, as a family, 
wear finer clothes than the dusky flycatchers. 
You may know that the chebec is not one of those 
deliberate searchers of foliage by his sudden, 
murderous sallies in mid-air. 
Abundant from Pennsylvania to Quebec, 
the least flycatchers are too inconspicuous to 
be much noticed. They haunt apple orchards 
chiefly at nesting time, fortunately for the crop, 
and at no season secrete themselves in shady 
woods as pewees do. A little chebec neighbour 
of mine used to dart through the spray from 
the hose that played on the lawn late every 
every afternoon during a drought, and sit on 
the tennis net to preen his wet feathers; but 
he nearly put out my eyes in his excitement 
and anger when I presumed on so much friendli- 
ness to peep into his nest. 
