The Gray Kingbird 57 



age points on which the birds monnt guard and whence 

 they sally forth on numerous foraj^s. 



They are far less pugnacious than are their next of 

 kin, the Kingbirds, and seldom ever are they seen attack- 

 ing other species. Both these species of Tijrannidce are 

 usually found closely associated in the localities already 

 indicated, but while the Kingbird extends its summer dom- 

 icile widely throughout the inland sections and are one 

 of our most numerous breeding sj)ecies, the Gray King- 

 bird rarely nests out of sight of the Gulf and all excep- 

 tions under my notice have been on the banks of our larger 

 rivers or extensive bays, and then but a few miles back 

 from the coast. 



The few nests of this species Avhich I have examined 

 were invariably built in small Live' Oak trees that survive 

 with a stunted growth in the sandy soil and buffeted by the 

 storms that not infrequently rage from the tropics to beat 

 out against our shores. 



In appearance the nests of this bird are quite dissim- 

 ilar to those of the Kingbird and so far as noted were placed 

 low down in the thicker, denser portions of the tree — eight 

 to twelve feet up and well out towards the extremity of 

 the limbs. One of these structures carefully examined was 

 made up of twigs and small rootlets and stems and lined 

 with a finer assortment of the same materials. The ex- 

 ternal diameter was about five and one-half inches and 

 about two and one-half inches in external depth. The nest 

 cavity was large in jn'oportion to the bulk of the nest; in 

 general, not unlike a substantial nest of the Cardinal (0. c. 

 cardinalis). Three eggs almost fresh were taken May 22, 

 1913, and on the following day the birds were already com- 

 mencing the building of another nest in a nearby tree. A 

 nest found June 0, 1915, contained three young almost 

 ready to fly. When the nest is approached the old birds, 

 while solicitous and keeping close about, are not inclined 

 to be pugnacious, but either show a nervous strain by fre- 

 quent short flights close at hand or maintain a prolonged 



