INSESSORES. 319 



"a Magpie in miniature." The bill, and the crown of the head, 

 are black ; the other parts of the body present various shades of 

 black, brown and white ; there is a white spot on its forehead, 

 from which its name is derived. The female lays five very 

 pale blue eggs. 



Of the numerous American Fly-Catchers, we name first, the 

 King Bird, or Tyrant Fly-Catcher ; M. tyrannus, (Linn.,) or 

 Tyrannus intrepidus, (Lat. undaunted,) ranging during summer 

 from the temperate part of Mexico to the remote interior. 



It receives its name from the authority which it assumes over 

 other birds during the time of breeding; the eggs are five in 

 number, of a pale green color, or dullish white. At the breeding 

 season, the King Bird's extreme affection for his mate and for 

 his nest and young, makes him suspicious of every bird that 

 happens to pass near his residence, so that he attacks, with- 

 out discrimination, every intruder. In the months of May, June 

 and part of July, his life is one continued scene of broils and 

 battles; in which, however, he generally comes off conqueror. 

 Hawks, and Crows, the Bald Eagle, and the Great Black Eagle, 

 all equally dread an encounter with this dauntless little cham- 

 pion, which, mounting to a considerable height above these birds, 

 darts down upon their backs, sometimes fixing himself there, to 

 the no small annoyance of his powerful antagonists. In teasing 

 the Eagle, he constantly keeps up a shrill and rapid twittering ; 

 this, in fact, is his only song. The Purple Martin, however, 

 from its more rapid flight, is more than a match for the King 

 Bird, eluding all his attacks, and teasing him as he pleases. 

 "I have," says Wilson, "also seen the Red-headed Woodpecker, 

 while clinging on a rail of the fence, amuse himself with the 

 violence of the King Bird, and play bo-peep with him around the 

 rail, while the latter, highly irritated, made every attempt, as he 

 swept from side to side, to strike him, -but in vain." 



In fields of pasture, the King Bird often perches upon the tops 

 of the mullein, and other rank weeds, near the cattle, and makes 

 occasional sweeps after passing insects, particularly the large 

 gad-fly, so annoying to horses and cattle. This bird preys upon 

 bees, but in his watchings of the bee-hive, it is said, he picks out 

 only the drones, and never injures the working bees. 



He must, however, be regarded as the farmer's friend, in de- 

 stroying great multitudes of insects, whose larvae prey upon the 

 productions of his fields and gardens. Like all Fly-Catchers, 

 the King Bird disgorges the harder parts of insects. This bird 

 reaches New York the last of April or the first of May ; it leaves 

 the Middle States earlier than most other species. The King 



