JUNE BIRDS. 71 



wary moth or beetle, and then as quickly 

 regaining his perch. His song is a sharp 

 jingle, not entirely unpleasing to the ear. 

 This bird is, perhaps, best known for his 

 unbounded courage, which leads him to 

 attack ev^en the largest birds of prey, and 

 it is no uncommon sight in the country to 

 see a little king- bird away up in the air in 

 hot pursuit of some hawk or crow. It is 

 said that he sometimes attacks even the 

 eagle, and that the king of birds is obliged 

 to lower his colors to his plucky little 

 assailant. 



One of the most interesting recent ar- 

 rivals, though probably known to but few 

 of my readers, is the beautiful little indigo- 

 bird {cyajiospiza cyanea). This bird be- 

 longs to the great family of finches, and 

 is thus related to the goldfinch and the 

 purple-finch, with which its pretty song 

 and conspicuous plumage would seem to 

 associate it. Its song consists of the sylla- 

 bles tc/iee, tehee, tehee, — tehee, tehee, tehee, 

 — tehee, tehee, tehee, uttered in a peculiar, 

 lisping manner. Unlike most bird-songs, 



