32 A CHRONICLE OF THREE LITTLE KINGS. 



proper, and he started, full tilt, toward him. 

 As he drew near, the alarmed robin uttered his 

 baby cry, when instantly the kingbird wheeled 

 and left ; nor did he notice the stranger again, 

 although he stayed there a long time. But when 

 an old robin came to attend to his wants, that 

 was a different matter; the kingbird went at 

 once for the grown-up bird, thus proving that 

 he spared the first one because of his babyhood. 

 It was not till they were three weeks old that 

 the little kings began to fly any lower than 

 about the level of their nest. Then one came to 

 the fence, and the others to the top of a grape- 

 trellis. I hoped to see some indication of look- 

 ing for food, and I did ; but it w^as all looking 

 up and calling on the parents ; not an eye was 

 turned earthward. Now the young ones began 

 to fly more nearly together, and one could see 

 that a few days' more practice would enable 

 them to fly in a compact little flock. Shortly 

 before this they had ceased to come to the na- 

 tive tree at night, and by day extended their 

 wanderings so far that sometimes they were not 

 heard for hours. Regularly, however, as night 

 drew near, the migrating cry sounded in the 

 grove, and upon going out I always found them 

 together, — three 



" Silver brown little birds, 

 Sitting close in the branches." 



