370 THE KINGBIRD. 
edged house, a feathered Don Carlos, must needs spend a fretful life in de- 
fense of his claims ‘Toward those who knuckle down tamely the little tyrant 
is often very gracious, and it may be conceded that he does perform a real 
service in holding the common enemies at bay. Who has not seen him as he 
quits his perch on some commanding tree and hurries forward, choking with 
vengeful utterance, to meet and chastise some murderous hawk, who before 
any other foe is brave? Down comes the avenger! The Hawk shies with a 
guttural cry of rage and terror, while a little puff of feathers scatters on the 
air to tell of the tyrant’s success. Again and again the quick punishment 
falls. until the tiny scourge desists, and returns, shaking with shrill laughter, 
to give his mate 
an account of 
his adventure. 
It is easily 
possible, how- 
ever, to exag- 
gerate the pug- 
nacity of the 
Kingbird, or to 
infer from ex- 
treme examples 
that all are 
quarrelsome. It 
is not unusual 
for Kingbirds 
to) be) sony the 
best of terms 
with their im- 
mediate neigh- 
bors, thieves al- 
Photo by F. S. Merrill. Taken near Spokane. ‘ 
A DEMURE YOUNG TYRANT. a ways excepted. 
T once found in 
one small aspen tree at Chelan the nests of three birds each containing eggs, 
viz., a Robin, an Oriole, and a Kingbird. The two latter were within five 
feet of each other. Dr. Brewer also records an exactly similar case. King- 
bird’s courage, which is unquestionable, is often tempered by prudence; 
altho at other times it quite overbalances his better judgment. The Bur- 
rowing Owl will tolerate none of his nonsense, and I have seen the 
birds make sad mistakes in molesting these virtuous mousers. The 
sight of a Shrike will make a Kingbird shrink into the smallest possible 
compass, while Catbirds, too, are said to be, for valid reasons, quite 
exempt from molestation. 
