THE FIRST NIGHT OUT. 29 



nish. It looked as if they had resolved to 

 make that homestead on the top branch their 

 headquarters for life, and, above all, never to 

 separate. That night, however, came the first 

 break, and they slept in a droll little row, so close 

 that they looked as if welded into one, and about 

 six feet from home. For some time after they 

 had settled themselves the mother sat by them, 

 as if she intended to stay; but when it had 

 grown quite dark, her mate sailed out over the 

 tree calling ; and she, — well, the babies were 

 grown up enough to be out in the world, — she 

 went with her spouse to the poplar-tree. 



Progress was somewhat more rapid after this 

 experience, and in a day or two the little kings 

 were flying freely, by short flights, all about the 

 grove, which came quite up to the fence. Now 

 I saw the working of the strange migrating call 

 above mentioned. Whenever the old birds be- 

 gan the cries and the circling flight, the young 

 were thrown into a fever of excitement. One 

 after another flew out, calling and moving in 

 circles as long as he could keep it up. For five 

 minutes the air was full of kingbird cries, both 

 old and young, and then fell a sudden silence. 

 Each young bird dropped to a perch, and the 

 elders betook themselves to their hunting-gromid 

 as calmly as if they had not been stirring up a 

 rout in the family. Usually, at the end of the 



