EASTERN KINGBIRD 21 



add "fearless." In contrast to most birds, whose concern is restricted 

 to the immediate vicinity of their nest, the kingbird's attention 

 reaches far out. His perch always commands a good view of the 

 surrounding country; he is always on the watch for the enemy. He 

 reminds us of those delightful young men in Romeo and Juliet who, 

 let a Capulet appear., flash out their swords and rush into a fight. 



The kingbird seems to consider any big bird his enemy ; he does not 

 wait for one to come near but, assuming the offensive, dashes out at 

 crow, vulture, or a big hawk — size seems to make no difference to 

 him — and practically always wins. 



A. D. DuBois (MS.) testifies to the genuineness of the kingbird's 

 attack thus : "The kingbird can be more than a mere annoyance to its 

 traditional enemy. I saw a pair attack a crow which was flying near 

 their nest. They made him croak, and one of them perched on his 

 back and pulled out a lot of liis feathers, which came floating down." 



Gilbert H. Trafton (1908) also speaks of a fierce attack upon him- 

 self at a nest he was watching. He says: "Wlienever I approached 

 near enough the nest to set up the camera, the Kingbirds flew at me 

 furiously, poising themselves above me and then darting quickly 

 at my head, now coming near enough to strike me with their bill. In 

 no case was blood drawn, but, as they usually struck about the same 

 spot each time, I was glad of an excuse to cover my head with a 

 cloth while focusing the camera. * * * They never attacked me 

 unless both birds were present, and even then only one came near 

 enough to strike me." 



Frederick C. Lincoln (1925), writing of North Dakota, says: "On 

 July 20 I watched a Kingbird attack a Hawk and saw it alight on 

 the back of the larger bird, to be carried 40 to 50 yards before again 

 taking flight." J. J. Murray (MS.) reports a similar observation: 

 "Near Lexington, Virginia, I saw a kingbird chase an American egret 

 for a hundred yards or more, practically riding on its back." 



Florence Merriam Bailey (1918) speaks thus of a kingbird attack- 

 ing so swift a bird as a black tern: "I saw [the tern] beating over 

 the open slough close by when suddenly chased after by a King- 

 bird, chased so closely and persistently and rancorously that if he 

 were not pecked on the back, a deep dent was made in his gray matter, 

 for he fled precipitately through the sky, going out into its grayness." 



John E. Williams (1935) tells of a kingbird which repeatedly 

 attacked a low-flying airplane. He says: "The courage and audacity 

 of this bird in attacking a noisy and relatively huge airplane was 

 certainly extraordinary." 



Isaac E. Hess (1910) states: "I have seen the Kingbird victor in 

 every battle except one. In this dispute 'Tyrannus' beat a hasty retreat 

 from the onslaughts of an angry Yellow Warbler." 



324726—42 3 



