THE INVITATION. 269 



passing around it. It was a young bird, 

 though full grown, and it was taking its 

 siesta on a low branch in a remote heathery 

 field. Its head was snugly stowed away 

 under its wing, and it would have fallen an 

 easy prey to the first hawk that came along. 

 I approached noiselessly, and when within 

 a few feet of it paused to note its breathings, 

 so much more rapid and full than our own. 

 A bird has greater lung capacity than any 

 other living thing, hence more animal heat, 

 and life at a higher pressure. When I 

 reached out my hand and carefully closed it 

 around the winged sleeper, its sudden terror 

 and consternation almost paralyzed it. Then 

 it struggled and cried piteously, and when 

 released, hastened and hid itself in some 

 near bushes. I never expected to surprise 

 it thus a second time. 



The fly-catchers are a larger group than 

 the vireos, with stronger marked character- 

 istics. They are not properly songsters, 

 but are classed by some writers as screech- 

 ers. Their pugnacious dispositions are well 

 known, and they not only fight among them- 

 selves, but are incessantly quarrelling with 

 their neighbors. The king-bird, or tyrant 

 fly-catcher, might serve as the type of the 

 order. 



