236 



USEFUL BIRDS. 



Florence Merriam. She said that a Kingbird was seen to 

 start from a telegraph pole one hundred and twenty-five feet 

 from the observer, and fly to within twenty-five feet of him, 

 for an insect that was invisible to the man at that distance. 

 If a Crow or Hawk comes in sight, the Kingbird at once 

 launches into the air with cries of fury, and chases the enemy 



Fig. 97. Kingbird, one-half natural size. 



of its young beyond the confines of its chosen domain. Pro- 

 fessor Beal relates an instance where a Hawk that had stooped 

 to some young Turkeys was driven away by a pair of King- 

 birds, and forced to give up its prey. The Kingbird possesses 

 such remarkable powers of flight, and is so quick in turning, 

 that under favorable conditions it can with impunity strike 

 the swiftest Hawk and get away. The Kingbird's endeavor 

 is to rise above its enemy and beat it toward the earth. This 

 is its only feasible plan. I once saw a Kingbird attack a 

 Cooper's Hawk that was flying low over a field. The small 

 fighter overtook the Hawk at once and landed on its back, 

 but after a time the Hawk managed to rise to some height and 

 then shot off diagonally downward, leaving the Kingbird so 

 fast that it appeared as if stationary in the air. This suggests 



