266 TVRANT FLYCATCHER. 



self of his merciless adversary. But the King-bird is not so 

 easily dismounted. He teases the Eagle incessantly, sweeps 

 upon him from right and left, remounts, that he may descend 

 on his back with the greater violence; all the while keeping up a 

 shrill and rapid twittering; and continuing the attack sometimes 

 for more than a mile, till he is relieved by some other of his 

 tribe equally eager for the contest. 



There is one bird, however, which by its superior rapidity 

 of flight, is sometimes more than a match for him; and I have 

 several times witnessed his precipitate retreat before this active 

 antagonist. This is the Purple Martin, one whose food and 

 disposition is pretty similar to his own; but who has greatly the 

 advantage of him on wing, in eluding all his attacks, and teasing 

 him as he pleases. I have 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 round the 

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

 he swept from side to side to strike him, but in vain. All this 

 turbulence, however, vanishes as soon as his young are able to 

 shift for themselves; and he is then as mild and peaceable as 

 any other bird. 



But he has a worse habit than all these; one much more ob- 

 noxious to the husbandman, and often fatal to himself. He loves, 

 not the honey, but the bees; and, it must be confessed, is fre- 

 quently on the look-out for these little, industrious insects. He 

 plants himself on a post of the fence, or on a small tree in the 

 garden, not far from the hives, and thence sallies on them as 

 they pass and repass, making great havock among their numbers. 

 His shrill twitter, so near to the house, gives intimation to the 

 farmer of what is going on, and the gun soon closes his career 

 for ever. Man arrogates to himself, in this case, the exclusive 

 privilege of murder; and after putting thousands of these same 

 little insects to death, seizes on the fruits of their labour. 



The King-birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the twentieth 

 of April, sometimes in small bodies of five and six together, 

 and are at first very silent, until they begin to pair, and build 



