312 THE KING-BIRD. 



horizontal branch of an apple tree ; frequently also, as Catesby 

 observes, on a sassafras tree, at no great height from the 

 ground. The outside consists of small slender twigs, tops of 

 withered flowers of the plant yarrow, and others, well wove 

 together with tow and wool ; and is made large, and remark- 

 ably firm and compact. It is usually lined with fine dry 

 fibrous grass, and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a very 

 pale cream color, or dull white, marked with a few large spots 

 of deep purple, and other smaller ones of light brown, chiefly, 

 though not altogether, towards the great end. They gener- 

 ally build twice in the season. 



The King -bird is altogether destitute of song, having only 

 the shrill twitter above mentioned. His usual mode of flight 

 is singular. The vibrations of his broad wings, as he moves 

 slowly over the fields, resemble those of a hawk hovering and 

 settling in the air to reconnoitre the ground below ; and the 

 object of the King-bird is no doubt something similar, viz. : 

 to look out for passing insects, either in the air, or among the 

 flowers and blofesoms below him. In fields of pasture he often 

 takes his stand, on the tops of the mullein, and other rank 

 weeds, near the cattle, and makes occasional sweeps after 

 passing insects, particularly the large black gad-fly, so terri- 

 fying to horses and cattle. His eye moves restlessly around 

 him, traces the flight of an insect for a moment or two, then 

 that of a second, and even a third, until he perceives one to 

 his liking, when with a shrill sweep he pursues, seizes it, and 

 returns to the same spot again, to look out for more. This 

 habit is so conspicuous when he is watching the bee-hive, 

 that several intelligent farmers of my acquaintance are of 

 opinion that he picks out only the drones, and never injures 

 the working bees. Be this as it may, he certainly gives a 

 preference to one bee, and one species of insect, over another. 

 He hovers over the river, sometimes for a considerable time, 

 darting after insects that frequent such places, snatching them 

 from the surface of the water, and diving about in the air 

 like a swallow ; for he possesses at will great powers of wing. 

 Numbers of them are frequently seen thus engaged, for hours 



