THE KINGBIRD 331 



species of Horned Larks, ranging all the way from Mexico 

 to British Columbia, some of them necessarily living in hot 

 countries, and far from large bodies of water. 



THE FLY CAT (HER FAMILY 



Tyrannidae 



There are many little birds, in size next above the spar- 

 rows, which look as if they ought to sing; but in reality they 

 do not. They are very expert at catching insects, however, 

 and nothing that flies can escape them in mid-air. These 

 birds make up the Family of Flycatchers, and to the farmers 

 of this- country every flycatcher is worth double its weight in 

 pure silver. Altogether there are about thirty species. 



The Kingbird, 1 also called the Bee "Martin" and Bee- 

 Bird, may well stand as the representative of this family. 

 Whenever you see a small bird swiftly and actively chasing 

 a large crow in mid-air, darting down upon the back of the 

 black fellow every hundred feet or so, with a peck that sends 

 a thrill of life along his keel, you may know that the gallant 

 little warrior is a Kingbird, and it is driving the crow away 

 from the vicinity of its nest. The performance is like that 

 of a man and a mad hornet. The crow thinks not of battle, 

 but only of getting on in the world, and giving the nestlings 

 of his tormentor a good square mile of crowless space in which 

 to grow. 



Look long enough, and yon will see the Kingbird return 

 from the chase, perch on his favorite dead limb at the edge of 

 the field, smooth his feathers and renew his watch for flying 

 1 Tij-niti'iut.s ty-ran'nua. Length, 8 inches. 



