32 



KINGBIRDS belong to that genus 

 known as Tyrant Flycatchers because 

 of their bold and aggressive manners. 

 They are very tolerant towards smaller 

 and weaker birds but they are the ter- 

 rors of crows, hawks and jays. If a 

 bird of prey conies into sight the vali- 

 ant warrior goes forth to meet him, ut- 

 tering his shrill notes of defiance. 

 Hawks or crows always turn and flee 

 with the Kingbird dashing down from 

 above and pecking them on back and 

 head. When an enemy has been driven 

 far off, the victor returns to his look- 

 out perch exultantly shrilling his 

 achievement. 



Their food is wholly insectivorous 

 and is snapped up on the wing by short 

 dashes from their perches or some- 

 times caught by hovering over the 

 grass. Some owners of apiaries claim 

 that they take -their bees while others 

 say they are not destructive as they 

 take only -drones. At any rate they 

 are, very useful birds for the agricul- 

 turalist. Their nests of straw, fibres, 

 grass, etc., are placed in orchard or 

 other trees. 



notes, which he frequently utters as he swings on the dead 

 outer branches that serve him as a lookout post. Long ago 

 Phoebes nested only in crevices of ledges or under over- 

 hanging banks; they do now sometimes, but since man came 

 and constructed bridges over the streams, barns and shed?, 

 they have found that very cozy places for their homes are 

 to be found on the stringers under the bridge planks and 

 on rafters in or under the outbuildings. The nests are 

 made of mud and moss, and are warmly lined with feathers. 

 The birds are apparently mated for life and return to the 

 same nesting site year after year. 



CRESTED FLYCATCHERS, which are of local but 

 regular occurrence here during summer, are very abundant 

 in southern states. They are not in reality crested, but 

 the feathers on the crown are slightly lengthened, as in- 

 deed are those of most other species, and are often erected 

 to express emotion. The call note of the Great-crest is a 

 single clear whistle with a rising inflection; his song is a 

 series of clear whistles and is often varied. They are very 

 active birds, continually chasing one another or other species 

 of birds about the treetops. It is a peculiar fact that 

 nearly all their nests, which are located in cavities of trees, 



