326 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



feathers, strings, and other soft materials. They are usually secured to the 

 limb on wliich they are placed by a portion of the string. The diameter of 

 the cavity of the nest is about three inches, depth one and a half Their 

 eggs are laid in May and June, and are four, five, or si.x in number. They 

 are described as white, marked with dark brown spots on the larger end. 

 In some the spots, decreasing in size, extend to tlie smaller end. 



Dr. Hoy informs me that he has never detected this bird within the limits 

 of Wisconsin, though he has no doubt that they may occasionally straggle 

 into its limits, as have many of the birds peculiar to the Missouri region. 



Mr. Eidgway gives it as one of the most abundant and familiar of 

 the Tyrannidw in the Sacramento Valley and the I'ertile portions of the 

 Great Basin. He notes their excessively quarrelsome disposition, whicli far 

 e.Kceeds that of the eastern Kingbird, for fighting among themselves seems 

 to be their cliief amusement. As many as half a dozen of these birds were 

 sometimes noticed pitching at one another promiscuously, in their playful 

 combats ; and when a nest was disturbed, the cries of the parents invariably 

 brought to the vicinity all the birds of this species in the neighborhood, 

 wliich, as soon as gathered together, began their aerial battles by attacking 

 each other without regard apparently to individuals, accomiianying the fight 

 by a shrill twitter, very different from the loud rattling notes of the T. caroli- 

 nensis. Indeed, all the notes of tlie western Kingbird are very conspicuously 

 different from those of the eastern species, being weaker, and more twitter- 

 ing in their character. The nesting habits, the construction of the nest, and 

 appearance of the eggs, are, however, almost perfectly identical. 



Mr. Eidgway gi\es an interesting account (Am. Xat., Aug., 1869) of a 

 young bird of this sjaecies which became quite domesticated with his party 

 in the geological survey of the 40th parallel. It had been taken about the 

 middle of July, fully fledged, from the nest, by some Indians, and was fed 

 with grassho])pers and flies until able to catch them for itself AVhen not 

 in quest of food it remained quietly perched on Mr. Eidgwa3''s shoulder or 

 his hat, or would perch on a rope extending from the top of the tent to a 

 stake. At night it frequently roosted under an umbrella which hung outside 

 of the tent. If permitted, it would have preferred to keep on its master's 

 shoulder, snuggling against his neck. In the morning it was sure to come 

 fluttering about his head, singling him out from a dozen or more pereons who 

 lay around upon the ground. It had an insatiable appetite, and was ascer- 

 tained by actual count to consume one hundred and twenty fat grasslioppers 

 in a day. It soon learned its own name. Chippy, and always answered to 

 the call. It followed ilr. Eidgway when on horseback, occasionally leaving 

 to sport with other birds, but alwaj's returning to his .shoulder or hat. It 

 evidently preferred the society of the camp to that of his own race. It 

 was once, by accident, nearly shot, and ever after held tlie gun in great dread. 

 It went with Mr. Eidgway from camp to camp, continuing perfectly tame 

 and domesticated, until, as was supposed, it fell a prey to a Hawk. 



