276 



Fig. 239. 



I first made peace with the owner of the orchard and then 

 tried to do the same with the birds^ the latter being a much 

 more difficult matter. It required visits of an hours duration 

 on six different days before the Kingbirds had sufficient con- 

 fidence to return and feed their young while I was con- 

 cealed in the tree. 



Kingbird nests are quite large affairs of rootlets, grasses, 

 gray fibres, string, paper, etc. Their four or five cream- 

 colored eggs are very handsomely spotted with reddish- 

 brown. Their food consists almost wholly of insects that 

 are caught in the air. The birds have their favorite look- 



