28 



Wild Birds. 



the alert in recording what took place, and the scenes would often shift so quickly that it 

 was difficult to decide which bird came to the nest. The mother brooded eighteen times, 

 and altogether for the space of one hour and twenty minutes. The nest was cleaned 

 seven times, and the nest and young were constantly inspected and picked all over 

 by both birds, although the female was the more scrupulous in her attentions. 



Whenever the male brought a large dragon-fly to the young an exciting scene was 

 sure to follow. If the female happened to be brooding at the time, she would seize the 

 struggling insect and try to start it down one of the hungry throats. If she failed in this 

 the male would snatch it from her to try his skill, and usually with as little success. In 



this way the prey would be passed back and 

 forth, until it was crushed between the bills 

 of the two birds, or torn limb from limb. 

 Some of these unequal contests between birds 

 and insects are illustrated by the photo- 

 graphs. 



When the male brought a moth miller 

 and accidentally dropped it close to the tent, 

 he went after it like a flash, and to place its 

 security beyond doubt swallowed it himself. 

 Again, one of the birds while perched near by 

 was seen to disgorge the indigestible parts of 

 its insect food, a common practice with fly- 

 catchers both old and young. 



I have added the foregoing details in 

 order to show with what harmony life at the 

 new nesting site proceeds when once the 

 severed threads have been united. A knowl- 

 edge of former conditions seemed to have 



been completely effaced. The nesting bough was defended with the same bold spirit for 

 which this bird is celebrated. The young were brooded night and day, while birds of 

 other species were constantly assailed and driven from the premises. 



At noon on the ninth day of July one Kingbird, then full-fledged, was standing on 

 the branch beside the nest. When touched he was off like a shot, and at this signal 

 the others tried their wings for the first time and landed in the grass. After being 

 replaced many times, two consented to remain, and spent that night in the old home, but 

 forsook it the next morning, when two weeks old. The first nest, which had been dis- 

 placed in a similar way and which as we have seen eventually contained two birds, was 

 occupied eighteen days. The last to leave flew easily two hundred feet down the hill- 

 side on the thirteenth of July. After taking this one home to secure a photograph, 

 I carried him to the hilltop and tossed him in the air. In his second flight which was 

 long and good, he made a distant apple tree. Both old and young birds remained in the 

 neighborhood for several weeks, and were still there when I went away in early August. 



Fig. 23. Young Kingbird eighteen daysold. "The last 

 to leave flew easily two hundred feet down the hillside." 



