68 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



The kingbird is a summer resident in eastern North 

 America, ranging to about fifty-seven degrees north lati- 

 tude, and westward to the Eocky Mountains, and irregu- 

 larly iu northwestern United States. Its winter home is 

 in tropical regions, including the Bahamas and Cuba, 

 and extending southward to Bolivia. It reaches central 

 Illinois about the twentieth of April or a little later, 

 announcing its return to the orchard by its squeaky, 

 twittering cries, and at once resumes its accustomed place 

 as a long-absent sovereign. At this season of the year it 

 can be seen very frequently in pastures having bunches 

 of weeds on which it can perch, rising repeatedly with its 

 rapid twitter in pursuit of its food. Thus it dallies for 

 several weeks before it prepares for the stern duties of 

 nidification and incubation. 



The situation of the nest is generally an upright fork 

 in the main portion of the tree, near the top, high trees 

 being seldom chosen in which to build, unless along 

 water-courses where smaller trees are not available. The 

 construction of the nest is a work involving much con- 

 tention and conversation between the pair of builders, 

 and, as is usual in such instances, the female does most of 

 the work and the male most of the talking. The nest is 

 made of coarse materials, such as weed stems, fibrous 

 roots and bark, rags, strings, feathers, and other soft 

 material, with finer rootlets and stems for lining. The 

 complement of eggs numbers from three to five. Their 

 ground color is white or creamy white, and they are 

 spotted irregularly and brightly with lar^re blotches and 

 markings of umber and chestnut. Davie gives their 

 average size as .97 by .70 of an inch. 



Most of the birds that are disposed to be imperious 

 among their neighbors are seen to be patterns of amia- 

 bility and tenderness in their home lives. We have else- 

 where referred to the conjugal affection noticeable in the 

 private life of the shrike. The meekness and patience of 

 the kingbird in its home are in striking contrast to its 

 irritabilit}^ among its neighbors. Is it possible that our 

 tyrant is a hen-pecked husband, and that his overbearing 

 disposition is over-matched by that of his high-spirited 

 dame? Surely not, for his faithful, affectionate service 



