bird neighbors-第15章

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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　dispensation　rarely　fall　out　of　their　insecure　cradle。

A　sharp；　loud　whistle；　wheuo…wheu…o…wheu…o；　rings　out　from　the　throat　of　this　olive…sided　tyrant；　warning　all　intruders　off　the　premises；　but　however　harshly　he　may　treat　the　rest　of　the　feathered　world；　he　has　only　gentle　devotion　to　offer　his　brooding　mate。


LEAST　FLYCATCHER　（Empidonax　minimus）　Flycatcher　family

Called　also：　CHEBEC

Length　　5　to　5。5　inches。　About　an　inch　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Gray　or　olive…gray　above；　paler　on　wings　and　lower　part　　　of　back；　and　a　more　distinct　olive…green　on　head。　Underneath　　　grayish　white；　sometimes　faintly　suffused　with　pale　yellow。　　　wings　have　whitish　bars。　White　eye…ring。　Lower　half　of　bill　　　　horn　color。　Female　is　slightly　more　yellowish　underneath。　Range　　Eastern　North　America；　from　tropics　northward　to　Quebec；　　Migrations　　May。　September。　Common　summer　resident。

This；　the　smallest　member　of　its　family；　takes　the　place　of　the　more　southerly　Acadian　flycatcher；　throughout　New　England　and　the　region　of　the　Great　Lakes。　But；　unlike　his　Southern　relative；　he　prefers　orchards　and　gardens　close　to　our　homes　for　his　hunting　grounds　rather　than　the　wet　recesses　of　the　forests。　Che…bec；　che…bec；　the　diminutive　olive…pated　gray　sprite　calls　out　from　the　orchard　between　his　aerial　sallies　after　the　passing　insects　that　have　been　attracted　by　the　decaying　fruit；　and　chebec　is　the　name　by　which　many　New　Englanders　know　him。

While　giving　this　characteristic　call…note；　with　drooping　jerking　tail；　trembling　wings；　and　uplifted　parti…colored　bill；　he　looks　unnerved　and　limp　by　the　effort　it　has　cost　him。　But　in　the　next　instant　a　gnat　flies　past。　How　quickly　the　bird　recovers　itself；　and　charges　full…tilt　at　his　passing　dinner！　The　sharp　click　of　his　little　bill　proves　that　he　has　not　missed　his　aim；　and　after　careering　about　in　the　air　another　minute　or　two；　looking　for　more　game　to　snap　up　on　the　wing；　he　will　return　to　the　same　perch　and　take　up　his　familiar　refrain。　Without　hearing　this　call…note　one　might　often　mistake　the　bird　for　either　the　wood　pewee　or　the　phoebe；　for　all　the　three　are　similarly　clothed　and　have　many　traits　in　common。　The　slightly　large　size　of　the　phoebe　and　pewee　is　not　always　apparent　when　they　are　seen　perching　on　the　trees。　Unlike　the　〃tuft　of　hay〃　to　which　the　Acadian　flycatcher's　nest　has　been　likened；　the　least　flycatcher's　home　is　a　neat；　substantial　cup…shaped　cradle　softly　lined　with　down　or　horsehair；　and　placed　generally　in　an　upright　crotch　of　a　tree；　well　above　the　ground。


THE　CHICKADEE　（Parus　atricapillus）　Titmouse　family

Called　also：　BLACK…CAPPED　TITMOUSE；　BLACK…CAP　TIT；　＇BLACK…CAPPED　　　CHICKADEE；　AOU　1998＇

Length　　5　to　5。5　inches。　About　an　inch　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Not　crested。　Crown　and　nape　and　throat　black。　　　Above　gray；　slightly　tinged　with　brown。　A　white　space；　　　beginning　at　base　of　bill；　extends　backwards；　widening　over　　　cheeks　and　upper　part　of　breast；　forming　a　sort　of　collar　that　　　almost　surrounds　neck。