er。　Common　summer　resident。
  The　earliest　representative　of　the　flycatcher　family　to　come　out　of　the　tropics　where　insect　life　fairly　swarms　and　teems；　what　does　the　friendly　little　phoebe　find　to　attract　him　to　the　north　in　March　while　his　prospective　dinners　must　all　be　still　in　embryo？　He　looks　dejected；　it　is　true；　as　he　sits　solitary　and　silent　on　some　projecting　bare　limb　in　the　garden；　awaiting　the　coming　of　his　tardy　mate；　nevertheless；　the　date　of　his　return　will　not　vary　by　more　than　a　few　days　in　a　given　locality　year　after　year。　Why　birds　that　are　mated　for　life；　as　these　are　said　to　be；　and　such　devoted　lovers；　should　not　travel　together　on　their　journey　north；　is　another　of　the　many　mysteries　of　bird…life　awaiting　solution。
  The　reunited；　happy　couple　go　about　the　garden　and　outbuildings　like　domesticated　wrens；　investigating　the　crannies　on　piazzas；　where　people　may　be　coming　and　going；　and　boldly　entering　barn…lofts　to　find　a　suitable　site　for　the　nest　that　it　must　take　much　of　both　time　and　skill　to　build。
  Pewit；　phoebe；　phoebe；　pewit；　phoebe；　they　contentedly　but　rather　monotonously　sing　as　they　investigate　all　the　sites　in　the　neighborhood。　Presently　a　location　is　chosen　under　a　beam　or　rafter；　and　the　work　of　collecting　moss　and　mud　for　the　foundation　and　hair　and　feathers　or　wool　to　line　the　exquisite　little　home　begins。　But　the　labor　is　done　cheerfully；　with　many　a　sally　in　midair　either　to　let　off　superfluous　high　spirits　or　to　catch　a　morsel　on　the　wing；　and　with　many　a　vivacious　outburst　of　what　by　courtesy　only　we　may　name　a　song。
  When　not　domesticated；　as　these　birds　are　rapidly　becoming；　the　phoebes　dearly　love　a　cool；　wet　woodland　retreat。　Here　they　hunt　and　bathe；　here　they　also　build　in　a　rocky　bank　or　ledge　of　rocks　or　underneath　a　bridge；　but　always　with　clever　adaptation　of　their　nest　to　its　surroundings；　out　of　which　it　seems　a　natural　growth。　It　is　one　of　the　most　finished；　beautiful　nests　ever　found。
  A　pair　of　phoebes　become　attached　to　a　spot　where　they　have　once　nested；　they　never　stray　far　from　it；　and　return　to　it　regularly；　though　they　may　not　again　occupy　the　old　nest。　This　is　because　it　soon　becomes　infested　with　lice　from　the　hen's　feathers　used　in　lining　it；　for　which　reason　too　close　relationship　with　this　friendly　bird…neighbor　is　discouraged　by　thrifty　housekeepers。　When　the　baby　birds　have　come　out　from　the　four　or　six　little　white　eggs；　their　helpless　bodies　are　mercilessly　attacked　by　parasites；　and　are　often　so　enfeebled　that　half　the　brood　die。　The　next　season　another　nest　will　be　built　near　the　first；　the　following　summer　still　another；　until　it　would　appear　that　a　colony　of　birds　had　made　their　homes　in　the　place。
  Throughout　the　long　summer　　for　as　the　phoebe　is　the　first　flycatcher　to　come；　so　it　is　the　last　to　go　　the　bird　is　a　tireless　hunter　of　insects；　which　it　catches　on　the　wing　with　a　sharp　click　of　its　beak　like　the　other　members　of　its　dexterous　family。
  Say's　Phoebe　（Sayornis　saya）　is　the　Western　representative　of　the　Eastern　species；　which　it　resembles　in　coloring　and　many　of　its　habits。　It　is　the　bird　of　the　open　plains；　a　tireless　hunter　in　midair　sallies　from　an　isolated　perch；　and　has　the　same　vibrating　motion　of　the　tail　that　the　Eastern　phoebe　indulges　in　when　excited。　This　bird　differs　chiefly　in　its　lighter　coloring；　but　not　in　habits；　from　the　black　pewee　of　the　Pacific　slope。
  GREAT…CRESTED　FLYCATCHER　（Myiarchus　crinitus）　Flycatcher　family
  Called　also：　CRESTED　FLYCATCHER；　＇GREAT　CRESTED　FLYCATCHER；　AOU　　　1998＇
  Length　　8。50　to　9　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　robin。　Male　and　female　　　Feathers　of　the　head　pointed　and　erect。　Upper　　　parts　dark　grayish…olive；　inclining　to　rusty　brown　on　wings　and　　　tail。　Wing　coverts　crossed　with　two　irregular　bars　of　yellowish　　　white。　Throat　gray；　shading　into　sulphur…yellow　underneath；　　　that　also　extends　under　the　wings。　Inner　vane　of　several　tail　　　quills　rusty　red。　Bristles　at　base　of　bill。　Range　　From　Mexico；　Central　America；　and　West　Indies　northward　　　to　southern　Canada　and　westward　to　the　plains。　Most　common　in　　　Mississippi　basin；　common　also　in　eastern　United　States；　south　　　of　New　England。　Migrations　　May。　September。　Common　summer　resident。
  The　most　dignified　and　handsomely　dressed　member　of　his　family；　the　crested　flycatcher　has；　nevertheless；　an　air　of　pensive　melancholy　about　him　when　in　repose　that　can　be　accounted　for　only　by　the　pain　he　must　feel　every　time　he　hears　himself　screech。　His　harsh；　shrill　call；　louder　and　more　disagreeable　than　the　kingbird's；　cannot　but　rasp　his　ears　as　it　does　ours。　And　yet　it　is　chiefly　by　this　piercing　note；　given　with　a　rising　inflection；　that　we　know　the　bird　is　in　our　neighborhood；　for　he　is　somewhat　of　a　recluse；　and　we　must　often　follow　the　disagreeable　noise　to　its　source　in　the　tree…tops　before　we　can　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　screecher。　Perched　on　a　high　lookout；　he　appears　morose　and　sluggish；　in　spite　of　his　aristocratic…looking　crest；　trim　figure；　and　feathers　that　must　seem　rather　gay　to　one　of　his　dusky　tribe。　A　low　soliloquy；　apparently　born　of　discontent；　can　be　overheard　from　the　foot　of　his　tree。　But　another　second；　and　he　has　dashed　off　in　hot　pursuit　of　an　insect　flying　beyond　our　sight；　and　with　extremely　quick；　dexterous　evolutions　in　midair；　he　finishes　the　hunt　with　a　sharp　click　of　his　bill　as　it　closes　over　the　unhappy　victim；　and　then　he　returns　to　his　perch。　On　the　wing　he　is　exceedingly　active　and　joyous；　in　the　tree　he　appears　just　the　reverse。　That　he　is　a　domineering　fellow；　quite　as　much　of　a　tyrant　as　the　notorious　kingbird；　that　bears　the　greater　burden　of　opprobrium；　is　shown　in　the　fierce　way　he　promptly　dashes　at　a　feathered　stranger　that　may　have　alighted　too　near　his　perch；　and　pursues　it　beyond　the　bounds　of　justice；　all　the　while　screaming　his　rasping　cry　into　the　intruder's　ears；　that　must　pierce　as　deep　as　the　thrusts　from　his　relentless　beak。　He　has　even　been　known　to　drive　off　woodpeckers　and　bluebirds　from　the　hollows　in　the　trees　that　he；　like　them；　chooses　for　a　nest；　and　appropriate　the　results　of　their　labor　for　his　scarcely　less　belligerent　mate。　With　a　slight　but　important　and　indispensable　addition；　the　stolen　nest　is　ready　to　receive　her　four　cream…colored　eggs；　that　look　as　if　a　pen　dipped　in　purple　ink　had　been　scratched　over　them。
  The　fact　that　gives　the　great…crested　flycatcher　a　unique　interest　among　all　North　American　birds　is　that　it　invariably　lines　its　nest　with　snake…skins　if　one　can　be　had。　Science　would　scarcely　be　worth　the　studying　if　it　did　not　set　our　imaginations　to　work　delving　for　plausible　reasons　for　Nature's　strange　doings。　Most　of　us　will　doubtless　agree　with　Wilson　（who　made　a　special　study　of　these　interesting　nests　and　never　found　a　single　one　without　cast　snake…skins　in　it；　even　in　districts　where　snakes　were　so　rare　they　were　supposed　not　to　exist　at　all）；　that　the　lining　was　chosen　to　terrorize　all　intruders。　The　scientific　mind　that　is　unwilling　to　dismiss　any　detail　of　Nature's　work　as　merely　arbitrary　and　haphazard；　is　greatly　exercised　over　the　reason　for　the　existence　of　crests　on　birds。　But；　surely；　may　not　the　sight　of　snake…skins　that　first　greet　the　eyes　of　the　fledgling　flycatchers　as　they　emerge　from　the　shell　be　a　good　and　sufficient　reason　why　the　feathers　on　their　little　heads　should　stand　on　end？　〃In　the　absence　of　a　snake…skin；　I　have　found　an　onion　skin　and　shad　scales　in　the　nest；〃　says　John　Burroughs；　who　calls　this　bird　〃the　wild　Irishman　of　the　flycatchers。〃
  OLIVE…SIDED　FLYCATCHER　（Contotus　borealis）　Flycatcher　family
  Length　　7　to　inches。　About　an　inch　longer　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Dusky　olive　or　grayish　brown　above；　head　　　darkest。　Wings　and　tail　blackish　brown；　the　former　sometimes；　　　but　not　always；　margined　and　tipped　with　dusky　white。　Throat　　　yellowish　white；　other　under　parts　slightly　lighter　shade　than　　　above。　Olive…gray　on　sides。　A　tuft　of　yellowish…white；　downy　　　feathers　on　flanks。　Bristles　at　base　of　bill。　Range　　From　Labrador　to　Panama。　Winters　in　the　tropics。　Nests　　　usually　north　of　United　States；　but　it　also　breeds　in　the　　　Catskills。　Migrations　　May。　September　Resident　only　in　northern　part　of　　　Its　range。
  Only　in　the　migrations　may　people　south　of　Massachusetts　hope　to　see　this　flycatcher；　which　can　be　distinguished　from　the　rest　of　its　kin　by　the　darker　under　parts；　and　by　the　fluffy；　　yellowish…white　tufts　of　feathers　on　its　flanks。　Its　habits　have　the　family　characteristics：　it　takes　its　food　on　the　wing；　suddenly　sallying　forth　from　its　perch；　darting　about　midair　to　seize　its　prey；　then　as　suddenly　returning　to　its　identical　point　of　vantage；　usually　in　some　distended；　dead　limb　in　the　tree…top；　it　is　pugnacious；　bold；　and　tyrannical；　mopish　and　inert　when　not　on　the　hunt；　but　wonderfully　alert　and　swift　when　in　pursuit　of　insect　or　feathered　foe。　The　short　necks　of　the　flycatchers　make　their　heads　appear　large　for　their　bodies；　a　peculiarity　slightly　emphasized　in　this　member　of　the　family。　High　up　in　some　evergreen　tree；　well　out　on　a　branch；　over　which　the　shapeless　mass　of　twigs　and　moss　that　serves　as　a　nest　is　saddled；　four　or　five　buff…speckled　eggs　are　laid；　and　by　some　special　dis