168 DENTIROSTRES. 



take post on a twig overlianging water, into wliicli 

 they will dive repeatedly,, and tlien remain for some 

 time quiet to dry and dress tlieir plumage in tlie sun. 

 They also prey on small fish and reptiles, and oc- 

 casionally feed on berries. Their flight is quick and 

 rapid, and they may sometimes be observed hovering 

 over the fields and rivers, as if watching for their 

 food, which, having espied, they secure by a sudden 

 swoop. Some of the species are remarkable for 

 their courage, especially during the breeding season. 

 Should a crow, hawk, or even an eagle, approach 

 their nest, they launch into the air, mount to a con- 

 siderable height above him, and dart down on his 

 back, sometimes to the great annoyance of the 

 intruder, who endeavours by various evolutions to 

 rid himself of his Lilliputian adversary. The nest 

 is built in trees, at no great height from the ground ; 

 exteriorly it is composed of twigs, well woven 

 together with tow and wool, and lined with dry 

 fibres, grass, and horsehair. Some species collect 

 together loose hay, feathers of birds, hog^s bristles, 

 pieces of cast-off snake^s skins, and dog's hair, in 

 the hollow of a tree. The eggs are usually four or 

 five in number. 



The hero of this sub -family — 



The Tyrant Flycatcher (Tyrannus intrepidus), called 

 also the King-ljird, is an example of an American group 

 of Flycatchers in which the bill is large and strong, approx- 

 imating that of the Shrike. The names of king and 

 tyrant bestowed upon this bird refer to the extraordinary 

 authority which he arrogates to himself during the breed- 

 ing season, over all the rest of the feathered creation. " A.t 

 this period," says Wilson, " Ins extreme affection for his 

 mate, and for his nest and young, makes him suspicious of 

 every bird that happens to pass near his residence, so that 

 he attacks, without discrmiination, every intruder. In 

 the months of May, June, and part of July, his life is one 

 continued scene of broils and battles, in which, however, 

 he generally comes off conqueror. Hawks and Crows, 

 the Bald Eagle and the Great Black Eagle, all equally 



