94 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 108 



utterly niicalled-for assault of a pair of kingbirds upon 

 two sedate, nnolTendiiig crows that flew by my window 

 nearly every day on their way to and from the forestry. I 

 had come to feel a great deal of respect for these crows 

 that went so unassumingly about their own business, and 

 I was quite indignant when they were insulted and as- 

 saulted by the vindictive kingbirds. I had heard or seen 

 nothing of these tyrants before, and not once afterward 

 did they appear ; but on this one occasion they monopolized 

 the attention of the whole neighborhood as they indulged 

 their inherent family hatred of the poor crows, who, I am 

 sure, would be only too glad to let the old feud die out. 



The same day that this unpleasant episode of the king- 

 birds occurred, I was more than compensated by hearing 

 the song-sparrow greet me from the witch-hazel thicket 

 with a burst of happj^ song that quite diverted my mind 

 from the recent unpleasantness. He sang but this once for 

 me, and though I listened long for another greeting, I never 

 heard it. Once, too, and only once, his cousin the vesper 

 sparrow sang to me, but did not come to call upon me, 

 much to my regret. 



My most faithful songsters were a brown thrasher that 

 frequented a young orchard not far from my window, and 

 a wren that had a nest under the eaves of the garage even 

 nearer. The brown thrasher seemed to take it upon him- 

 self to keep me happy and content, for his gay, sweet song 

 never failed me for \ev\ long a single day. 



He came to visit me often, too, and strolled tranquilly 

 about the yard beneath the window, very much at home 

 on my premises, as becomes a good friend. The sociable 

 little wren came "jinking" about my window, intent upon 

 telling me all about his nest, but when he sang I felt sure 

 he was singing not to me at all, but to his little brown 

 mate on the nest under the eaves, the demure little house- 

 wife about whom he was ever so solicitous. 



A flash of blue darting about the clump of witch-hazel 

 one noon-day apprised me of the coming of other callers, a 



