Home Nature-Study Course. 403 



The Kingbird. — This undaunted bird has the reputation of being 

 a fighter, but it is simply a citizen who looks carefully after his 

 rights. When it chooses a site for a nest it makes up its mind where, 

 out in space, its line fence extends; what though this fence is like the 

 Tropic of Cancer, in that it is quite an imaginary circle, yet woe 

 betide the large bird, especially if it be hawk or crow, which dares to 

 push across it. The kingbird is an example of the power of fearless- 

 ness in defending a just cause. Any one who has seen it chase a 

 scared and squawking crow or a hawk trying to beat adignified retreat 

 must have paid it the mental tribute which is always due to bravery 

 and daring. 



Fully ninety per cent of the kingbird's food is insects and these 

 are of the sort which we can best spare, such as weevils, grasshoppers, 

 beetles which are the adults of wire-worms, etc. It has also a bad 

 reputation among bee men, which it has done little to deserve. The 

 United States Biological Survey has proved this by opening two 

 himdred and eighty-one stomachs of kingbirds, and of all these only 

 fourteen contained bees. There were only fifty bees in all, and of 

 these forty were certainly drones and only four were surely workers. 

 The kingbird is sufficiently astute to leave alone food with so much 

 hot seasoning in it as worker bees are supposed to have; and by 

 killing off drones it is a help instead of a detriment to the apiarist. 

 The kingbird winters in Central and South America, and, therefore, 

 appears here somewhat late in the season. It builds its nest in or- 

 chards and other civilized places, and never takes care to protect it 

 from sight. It has implicit confidence in its own ability to protect 

 its nest. 



76. Why should the kingbird be preserved by the farmer and fruit grower? 



77. Why is a pair of kingbirds of especial value near poultry yards? 



78. Describe the kingbird according to the outline given for bird study in the 

 field. 



79. Have you ever seen a kingbird's nest? If so, describe it. Do you know 

 the kingbird's note? If so, describe it. 



80. Do both male and female kingbirds attack hawks and crows? 



81. Have you ever seen the bright orange feathers on the crown of the king- 

 bird's head? They are only visible when the crest is raised. 



The Great-crested Flycatcher.— This is as large as the kingbird and 

 has more of the color of the phcebe, but will never be mistaken for 

 either on account of its habits. It lives in the woods or in old thickly 

 grown orchards and away from people. It is especially fond of 

 water courses through woodlands. Its favorite perch is the dead 

 top of a forest tree. Its song is a loud interrogative exclamation, 

 quite harsh and challenging. Mr. Chapman says that he exclaims 



