SCARLET TYRANT 185 



nest, as he is extremely vigilant and violent in repel- 

 ling intruders. But his vigilance at times avails not ; 

 the subtle bird has watched and waited till, seizing 

 a moment when the little Scarlet Tyrant is off his 

 guard, she drops her surreptitious egg into his nest. 

 When this happens, the Churinches immediately for- 

 sake their nest. The nest is sometimes lined with 

 feathers, but usually with thistle-down ; the eggs 

 are four, pointed, and spotted at the broad end with 

 black ; usually each egg has also a few large grey 

 spots. The young are at first grey, marked with pale 

 rufous, but soon become entirely grey, like the 

 female. In about a months time the belly of the 

 males begins to assume a pale mauve-red ; this 

 spreads upwards towards the breast and throat ; 

 and finally the crest also takes on this colour. The 

 Churinches raise two broods in a season but if the 

 nest is destroyed, will lay as many as four times. 



The Scarlet Tyrant is the first of our summer 

 visitors to leave us. As early as the end of January 

 and so soon as the young of the second brood are 

 able to feed themselves, the adults disappear. Their 

 going is not gradual, but they all vanish at once. 

 The departure of all other migratory species takes 

 place after a very sensible change in the temperature ; 

 but at the end of January the heat is unmitigated 

 it is in fact often greater than during December. 



When the adults have gone, the silent young birds 

 remain. Within a month's time the sexes of these 

 may be distinguished. After another month the males 

 begin to sing, and are frequently seen pursuing one 



