THE TRAGEDIES OF THE NESTS. 27 
But in this case there was no perch for the male bird, 
had he been disposed to make a sunshade of himself. 
I thought to lend a hand in this direction myself, 
and so stuck a leafy twig beside the nest. This was 
probably an unwise interference ; it guided disaster 
to the spot ; the nest was broken up, and the mother- 
bird was probably caught, as I never saw her after- 
ward. 
For several previous summers a pair of kingbirds 
had reared, unmolested, a brood of young in an ap- 
ple-tree, only a few yards from the house; but dur- 
ing this season disaster overtook them also. The 
nest was completed, the eggs laid, and incubation had 
just begun, when, one morning about sunrise, I heard 
loud cries of distress and alarm proceed from the old 
apple-tree. Looking out of the window I saw a crow, 
which I knew to be a fish-crow, perched upon the 
edge of the nest, hastily bolting the eggs. The parent 
birds, usually so ready for the attack, seemed over- 
come with grief and alarm. They fluttered about in 
the most helpless and bewildered manner, and it was 
not till the robber fled on my approach that they 
recovered themselves and charged upon him. The 
crow scurried away with upturned, threatening head, 
_ the furious kingbirds fairly upon his back. The pair 
lingered around their desecrated nest for several days, 
almost silent, and saddened by their loss, and then 
disappeared. They probably made another trial else- 
where. 
The fish-crow only fishes when it has destroyed 
all the eggs and young birds it can find. It is the 
most despicable thief and robber among our feathered 
creatures. From May to August it is gorged. with the 
fledgelings of the nest. It is fortunate that its range 
