THE KING-BIRD. 315 



(For all have failings, passions, whims that lead ; 

 Some fav'rite wish, some appetite to feed ;) 

 Strait he alights, and from the pear-tree spies 

 The circling stream of humming insects rise ; 

 Selects his prey ; darts on the busy brood, 

 And shrilly twitters o'er his sav'ry food. 



Ah ! ill-timed triumph ! direful note to thee, 

 That guides thy murderer to the fatal tree ; 

 See where he skulks ! and takes his gloomy stand ; 

 The deep-charg'd musket hanging in his hand ; 

 And gaunt for blood, he leans it on a rest, 

 Prepar'd, and pointed at thy snow-white breast. 

 Ah friend ! good friend ! forbear that barb'rous deed, 

 Against it valor, goodness, pity plead ; 

 If e'er a family's griefs, a widow's wo, 

 Have reach'd thy soul, in mercy let me go ! 

 Yet, should the tear of pity nought avail, 

 Let interest speak, let gratitude prevail ; 

 Kill not thy friend, who thy whole harvest shields, 

 And sweeps ten thousand vermin from thy fields ; 

 Think how this dauntless bird, thy poultry's guard, 

 Drove ev'ry Hawk and Eagle from thy yard ; 

 Watched round thy cattle as they fed, and slew 

 The hungry black'ning swarms that found them flew ; 

 Some small return, some little right resign, 

 And spare his life whose services are thine ! 



1 plead in vain ! Amid the bursting roar 



The poor, lost KING-BIRD, welters in his gore. 



This species is eight inches long, and fourteen in extent ; 

 the general color above is a dark slaty ash ; the head and tail 

 are nearly black ; the latter even at the end, tipt with white ; 

 the wings are more of a brownish cast ; the quills and wing- 

 coverts are also edged with dull white ; the upper part of the 

 breast is tinged with ash ; the throat, and all the rest of the 

 lower parts are pure white ; the plumage on the crown, 

 though not forming a crest, is frequently erected, as repre- 

 sented in the plate, and discovers a rich bed of brilliant 

 orange, or flame color, called by the country people his crown : 

 when the feathers lie close this is altogether concealed. The 

 bill is very broad at the base, overhanging at the point, and 

 notched, of a glossy black color, and furnished with bristles 

 at the base ; the legs and feet are black, seamed with gray : 



