FAMILY Tyrannid2. 
at the fork of a branch and near its extremity, from fif- 
teen to twenty-five feet above ground. Egg, white with 
sepia brown specks. The range of the bird is pretty 
nearly throughout North America, from New Bruns- 
wick and Manitoba southward. 
The Kingbird has no song, but he has some conver- 
sational ability of a limited though stridulous character. 
It is not difficult to place the tone of his voice on the 
musical staff, although there is not a bit of music in that 
cone. His remarks as he stands on some high perch 
commanding a wide outlook are a trifle monotonous: 
Ker-rip, ker-rip, quirp, each with a rising inflection, 
and then Ker-r-r-r, ker-r-r-r, ker-r-r-r, in a decidedly 
burred or double-tone note, which may be imitated by 
humming and whistling simultaneously. The music 
should appear about like the following, though it should 
be remembered a single tone with a shifting pitch, and . 
that, too, not a musical tone, is all one hears: 
Ker-rip, ker-rip, quirp, kerrr kerrr kerrr! 
An old apple-tree is a favorite resort of the Kingbird, 
and in this the nest is frequently built within plain sight. 
The male bird stands guard over the premises, and woe 
to the individual who wings his flight that way; it 
usually means a chase to the bitter end. I have fre- 
quently seen the Kingbird chase a Crow for a quarter of 
a mile, because the latter dared to fly within the limits of 
the orchard. He is, indeed, as his name would imply, 
the Tyrant Flycatcher, though he is not a tyrannical 
husband; for it is as plain as day he treats his mate with 
the utmost consideration, guarding the nest with assidu- 
ous care while she is away in search of food. I have 
never seen him assist in building a nest, or in the domes- 
tic cares involved with the brooding period, but he is 
afterward very attentive in feeding the young. Olive 
Thorne Miller writes: ‘‘ While his mate is sitting—and 
possibly at other times—he indulges in a soft and very 
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